US and EU poised to end Airbus-Boeing dispute as they eye threat from China

The feud escalated when the Trump administration imposed tariffs on European goods including Parmesan cheese, French wine and Scotch and Irish whiskies. The European Union, in turn, slapped tariffs on US goods such as wine, cheese and suitcases.

The United States and European Union have still to resolve how to tax big tech companies and a dispute over Trump-era tariffs on steel and aluminum, but ending the aircraft subsidy fight should help improve relations as both sides put more emphasis on countering China.

Later Tuesday, the United States and the European Union will follow that by announcing a joint council meant to address questions of trade and technology, a senior administration official told CNN, in part to provide a better check on China’s economic practices.

The task force is meant to “work together to write the rules of the road for the next generation, particularly in the areas of economics and emerging technologies,” the official said.

“We also have to take account of the fact that China poses a significant challenge in both of these areas, and dealing with China’s non-market practices, its economic abuses and, of course, efforts to shape the rules of the road on technology for the 21st century will be an important part of the work of this council and this fits with President Biden’s fundamental strategy,” the official said.

Biden is eager to restore transatlantic ties on his European tour this week, and is hoping to enter a high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday appearing united with Western allies. That has mostly come in statements of support, but the trade dispute resolution is a concrete signal of his intent to normalize traditional US alliances after four years of strain.