WASHINGTON, Reuters — European Union trade commissioner Phil Hogan said his meetings with senior American officials marked a “good start” to resetting trade ties with Washington, but there was more work to do.
Hogan said Jan. 16 that he had a good exchange of views with United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer twice during his visit, underscoring Brussels’ desire to negotiate solutions for several open disputes between the allies and avoid costly and economically damaging tariffs.
“It’s a good start … but we’ve a lot more to do,” Hogan told reporters after more than three days of meetings with U.S. officials, lawmakers and business executives, with further trips planned in February and March.
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He said Brussels hoped to leverage concerns it shares with Washington about China and the need to reform the World Trade Organization and to move forward on settling disputes about aircraft subsidies, digital service taxes and trade barriers.
The USTR had no immediate comment on the meetings with Hogan beyond a statement with the EU and Japan that unveiled a joint proposal to call for global rules on use of market-distorting government subsidies by China and other countries.
The EU was open to considering a mini-trade deal similar to those negotiated by Washington with Japan and other countries, Hogan said. One prospect might be to focus on sanitary and phytosanitary standards, he said.
Brussels was not ready to put agriculture on the table in broader trade talks, Hogan said, but the EU had already increased purchases of U.S. soybeans, cereal and liquified natural gas as a goodwill gesture.
He said there was also greater U.S. engagement with an EU proposal to resolve a dispute over government subsidies to Boeing Co. and Airbus.
