EU, U.S. trade, technology body to meet May 15-16 in France

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The U.S.-European Union Trade and Technology Council, set up last year to mend strained transatlantic trade relations and help the allied democracies better compete with China, will meet for the second time on May 15-16 in France, EU antitrust chief Vestager said on Monday.

“This forum is crucial for global leadership across a range of key issues,” Vestager said in a tweet.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai also said the TTC would address shared challenges.

The TTC convened for the first time on Sept. 29 in Pittsburg with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Tai, EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis and Vestager.

One of its objectives is taking a more unified approach to curb the power of tech giants while another is to set standards and rules for the 21st century.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)