EU trade ministers discuss the WTO and EU-US and EU-China trade relations

On 9 November, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will attend an informal video conference of EU trade ministers. The items of the agenda will be the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the EU’s trade relations with the United States and China.

The Ministers will have a debate on the goals that the EU should set for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in 2021.  

“The multilateral trading system is very important for us, and the EU must take an active part in the preparation of the conference. The WTO also plays a central role when means are sought for promoting the recovery of trade when the COVID-19 crisis is over,” Minister Skinnari says. 

The EU trade ministers will be meeting less than a week after the US elections. According to Minister Skinnari, the EU should continue to strengthen positive relationships also on future and to cooperate with a view to reforming the multilateral trading system.

“The long-standing Airbus-Boeing dispute should be resolved through consultations. A settlement over the dispute concerning subsidies to the aircraft would be in the interest of both parties,” Minister Skinnari says. 

Skinnari considers that regular dialogue is essential also in trade relations with China. The EU must be consistent and clear in its communications. Negotiations on an EU-China Comprehensive Investment Agreement (CAI) are ongoing. The negotiations should aim at an ambitious outcome, which would help rectify the current imbalance between the EU and China,” Minister Skinnari emphasises. 

Inquiries:  

Juha Niemi, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, tel. +358 50 478 1387 and Ilkka-Pekka Similä, Director General, tel. +358 50 336 3856.

The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format [email protected].