The request was made during the meeting of the permanent bilateral commission between Portugal and the USA, held in Lisbon, the results of which were announced in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The US announced in October that it would impose customs duties on EU products, including dairy products, such as cheeses, yoghurts and butters, from Portugal.
The decision implies that these and other products from Portugal (and other EU states) will be subject to an additional tax of 25 percent when imported into the US.The imposition of additional taxes was decided in retaliation for the European Union’s public aid to Airbus.
Portugal requested a special regime for the milk sector in the Azores and, in return, the US asked Portugal to take a public position on tariffs and to put pressure on the EU to put an end to “its unfair commercial practices” in the aviation sector.
In October, the World Trade Organisation found that the US was right to accuse the EU of illegally subsidising Airbus.
The US recalled that next year will mark the 225th anniversary of the U.S. consulate in the Azores, and announced the intention to organise, in May, a month of visits and programmes that show “the special relationship of the US with the Azores”.
The bilateral commission also praised the first seminar that marked the entry into operation of the Centre for the Defence of the Atlantic, which will be located in Lages.