The two parties met on the outskirts of Paris in the framework of the “Trade and Technology Council”, which was formed last year, with the goals, among other things, to counter China’s growing influence in the technology sector.
But European and American officials have focused the bulk of their efforts on the difficulties arising from Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
In its statement, the council noted that its work has so far been effective in curbing exports of advanced aerospace technology and online censorship to undermine Russia’s war effort.
The forum also focuses on chip manufacturing and securing key materials for the technology sector, such as rare earth elements, issues that put it on a collision course with China.
Addressing rare earth magnets, which are central to products such as electric vehicles, the closing statement said: “EU and US companies do not have prominent positions in supply chains… Almost all production stages are concentrated in China.”
The forum pledged to provide the largest possible support to the electronic chip manufacturing sector.
The forum also announced an “early warning system” for any supply disruptions to semiconductors used to manufacture electronic chips, in the hope of avoiding excessive competition between Western powers.
The chip manufacturing sector’s suffering from a shortage of chip-making components has been attributed to the surge in global demand for electronic products while the pandemic disrupted supply chains.
In turn, a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP: “The United States has already put in place its own early warning system in 2021 that tracks supply chains in Southeast Asia, and this has helped significantly in our success in preparing for a possible disruption. supplies) several times earlier this year. She indicated that the two sides are preparing for supply disruptions as a result of the closure measures imposed by China, the only major economic power that is still sticking to the “zero Covid injuries” strategy.
The European Union and the United States will also announce joint measures to combat disinformation and piracy, especially from the Russian side, including the development of guidelines for small and medium-sized companies to maintain cyber security and the formation of a task force for trusted technology providers, the official said. “It is not a European issue, but a global issue,” she said.
