Today, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Lee Greer convened a virtual meeting to present the U.S. proposal for a free trade area dedicated to critical minerals. The meeting brought together Ministers responsible for international trade from the countries invited to the extraordinary session held on 12 January in Washington, which was attended on behalf of Italy by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani. At today’s session, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Maria Tripodi represented the Minister.
In her remarks, the Undersecretary reaffirmed Italy’s readiness to engage in constructive negotiations to strengthen transatlantic cooperation, in the spirit of the EU–U.S. Joint Declaration issued last August and in full alignment with the European position. Italy emphasises the importance of addressing, through prompt and concrete measures, the excessive reliance of strategic industries on Chinese critical materials, while fostering open and transparent dialogue among partners. It is also essential to obtain further details regarding the initiative, carefully assessing its impact on supply chains and, above all, ensuring full compatibility with Italy’s international obligations, including membership of the World Trade Organization and the European Union, together with relevant free trade agreements.
On this basis, Italy will continue to ensure close coordination at both national and European levels, in order to fully seize the opportunities presented by the U.S. proposal and, more broadly, by the rapidly evolving international landscape.
