EU efforts to protect digital rules delay trade statement with US: FT
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The news: The European Union is seeking to prevent the US from targeting the bloc’s digital rules as the two sides work to finalise details of a statement that will formalise a trade deal agreed in July, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.
The context: EU officials told the masthead that disagreements over language tied to “non-tariff barriers” which the US has previously said includes the EU’s digital rules are among reasons for the hold up.
The statement to formalise the trade deal was initially expected to be released days after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and President Donald Trump announced a tariff agreement on 27 July.
However, sources told the FT that the US sought to keep the door open on possible concessions related to the bloc’s Digital Services Act, which forces big tech to more aggressively supervise their platforms. The US argues that the rules stifle free speech and add costs to US tech companies, while the EU says that relaxing the rules is a red line.
A US official told the FT: “We continue to address digital trade barriers in conversations with our trading partners and the EU agreed to address these barriers when our initial agreement was struck.”
While the EU had expected that Trump would sign an executive order by 15 August to cut levies on EU car exports to the US to 15% from 27.5%, an FT source signalled that this would not go ahead until the joint statement had been finalised.
The source: Financial Times
