COLLEGE PARK – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, and Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager today participated in a stakeholder event during the 3rd U.S. – EU Trade and Technology Council meeting at the University of Maryland, College Park.
In her closing remarks, Ambassador Tai reiterated the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to consult a broad range of stakeholders, including those that have been historically underrepresented, as the United States and the European Union continue to cooperate on strengthening our supply chains and on digital policy.
Ambassador Tai’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
I want to begin by thanking our gracious hosts, President Darryll Pines and the entire team at the University of Maryland. I also want to thank the stakeholder representatives who joined us today for their participation and valuable contributions.
At the center of the Biden-Harris Administration's worker-centered trade policy is a commitment to incorporate the perspectives and feedback of a broad range of stakeholders, including those that have been historically underrepresented. When we hear from all of those who have a stake in what we do – workers, labor leaders, civil society representatives, and business leaders – we can design more inclusive, durable trade policies.
I was very proud to be here alongside my colleagues from the Administration and our EU partners as we navigate this challenging and consequential moment in our shared history.
The COVID pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have exposed and further aggravated our fragile supply chains, causing major disruptions on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond. Americans and Europeans are feeling the consequences of those disruptions every day.
But we cannot focus solely on the disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine. We also need to address the concentration of our supply chains in China, which also contributes to our vulnerability, especially for critical technologies.
With respect to digital technology, I note the Biden-Harris Administration’s strong desire to engage with the EU as we both continue to grapple with the many ways the rapid growth of the digital services and products have impacted our economies and our societies.
Our goal should be to ensure that we maintain the innovative transatlantic digital economy ecosystem that has benefited both the United States and Europe, while ensuring that our shared democratic values are preserved.
The TTC is a timely and important initiative for accomplishing these goals.
I will now turn it over to my good friend, colleague, and partner Executive Vice President Dombrovskis.
###
