WASHINGTON: During a meeting with Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron brought up European and French concerns regarding subsidies for products made in the United States.
The French complaint was about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a $430 billion bill that provides substantial subsidies for US goods.
Macron and other European pioneers say the regulative bundle endorsed by Biden in August is out of line with non-American organizations and would be a serious disaster for their economies as Europe manages the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
One participant said that during a meeting on Wednesday with lawmakers from the US, President Macron was quoted as saying that the act was “super aggressive” toward European businesses.
In his speech, President Biden said that he was happy to have his French counterpart at the White House to “celebrate more than 200 years of US-French relations” and to renew their alliance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At the first state visit since the US president took office in January of last year, Biden hosted Macron. Macron and Brigitte were greeted by Biden and his wife Jill with hugs, kisses, and big smiles.
A military honor guard, a red-jacketed colonial band with the Fife and Drum Corps, and national anthems were part of the ceremony for the two couples, who dined casually on Wednesday.
