EU, US end clash over steel, aluminium tariffs, to work on global deal

The United States and the European Union announced on Sunday an end to a dispute over steel and aluminium tariffs started in 2018 and said they would try to work out over the next two years a global arrangement on sustainable steel and aluminium.

“The United States and the European Union have reached a major breakthrough that will address the existential threat of climate change while also protecting American jobs and American industry,” US President Joe Biden said. Biden said the deal immediately removed tariffs on the European Union steel and aluminium, imposed by the previous administration, and lowered costs to US consumers.

He said a carbon-based arrangement between the EU and the US on steel and aluminum trade would restrict access to US markets for “dirty” steel from countries such as China and counter steel dumping practices from other nations.

“I am pleased to announce that President Joe Biden and I reached an agreement to suspend the tariffs on steel and aluminium, and to work together on a new Global Sustainable Steel Arrangement,” European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement to the press with Biden on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' meeting in Rome.

Biden talks F-16 jets, raises human rights issues with Erdogan

US President Joe Biden told Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan his request for F-16 fighter jets had to go through a process in the United States and expressed a desire to handle disagreements between the two countries effectively. Biden also raised the issue of human rights, a US senior administration official told reporters.

Macron and Johnson agree to de-escalate Brexit spat on fish

The UK and France have agreed to work together to solve their dispute over fishing rights following a meet­ing between French President Emmanuel Macron and British PM Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the G20 summit of leaders in Rome, a French official said. The two sides will aim to prevent retaliatory mea­sures from France coming into force as planned on Tuesday. 

Italy hikes climate fund contribution to $1.4 bn per year
 

Italy will triple its climate finance contribution to 1.4 billion dollars per year for the next five years, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Friday in its final remarks at the G20 leaders summit in Rome. "I am glad to announce that Italy will nearly triple its financial commitment to 1.4 billion dollars per year for the next 5 years," Draghi said.