France Sees Smoother Trade Ties with U.S. If Biden Triumphs, Says Minister

11/06/2020

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Reuters

PARIS (Reuters) – France expects smoother trade relations with the United States should Democratic contender Joe Biden win the presidential vote, with greater alignment on sustainable development and more multilateral cooperation, trade minister Franck Riester said.

President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on French wines in a row over Airbus subsidies, threatened levies on Champagne and luxury handbags in a digital tax dispute, and pursued an isolationist “America First” stance.

Asked if France anticipated that a Biden presidency would be more reconciling, Riester told Reuters: “We would surely see an improvement in relations. We would be more aligned on matters of sustainable development and perhaps also on multilateral work.”

Biden took a razor-thin lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia early on Friday, edging closer to winning the White House.

Biden’s camp has said during the campaign that he would end the “artificial trade war” that Trump had waged against Europe, while addressing imbalances in agricultural trade with the bloc.

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