The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi, acting on behalf of Minister Antonio Tajani, attended the informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade configuration) in Dublin. The agenda includes trade relations between the EU and China, the EU’s free trade agreements, and economic relations with the United States and Canada.
During the discussions, Italy emphasised the need for an ambitious European trade policy capable of supporting the competitiveness of businesses, expanding export opportunities and strengthening the resilience of supply chains, against a backdrop of growing international trade tensions. “European trade policy must deliver concrete and measurable results for our businesses, ensuring fairer market access, greater predictability and new opportunities for growth,” explained Tripodi. With this in mind, the Undersecretary welcomed the progress made in the EU-China trade dialogue, calling for verifiable results in removing barriers to access to the Chinese market and in rebalancing trade.
On the subject of trade agreements, she highlighted the opportunities offered by the agreements with Mercosur, Indonesia and India; the importance of access to critical raw materials in the context of relations with Australia; and the prospects for deepening ties with South-East Asia and the United Arab Emirates, whilst safeguarding the interests of the Italian agri-food sectors. As regards transatlantic relations, Tripodi emphasised the value of an economic partnership with the United States based on stability and predictability, including through dialogue on tariffs and cooperation to ensure more secure and diversified supply chains, noting Italy’s membership of Pax Silica and the recent signing of a bilateral memorandum with Washington. Finally, the strategic importance of the EU–Canada partnership was highlighted, drawing on the outcomes of CETA, cooperation on critical raw materials and the negotiations on the Digital Trade Agreement, ahead of the EU–Canada Summit scheduled to take place in Montréal on 29 and 30 October.
