(Adds comments from interview)
By Christian Kraemer
WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - German Economy Minister
Robert Habeck on Monday said there was a chance that de facto
free-trade status could be reached between Europe and the United
States in the area of critical minerals under the U.S. Inflation
Reduction Act (IRA).
Habeck is currently in Washington to discuss the IRA and its
implications for Europe with U.S. officials and seek equal
treatment, comparable to Mexico and Canada, in some areas in
which European leaders fear discrimination.
"I can imagine that there will be agreements in certain
sectors that have the same effect as equal treatment. And then I
would be satisfied. One should not be picky about it," Habeck
told Reuters.
"If it is not a free trade agreement, but a regulatory
framework where the same goods are valued equally in the same
market, then what we actually need has been achieved."
Habeck singled out critical minerals, which are needed for
solar panels, batteries and semiconductors, as one area where
such an agreement could be struck to reduce dependence on China,
which owns most of the market.
Europe and the United States should pool resources in this
field instead of competing, Habeck said.
Habeck and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire are due to
meet U.S. counterparts on Tuesday to discuss the matter and
soften any negative impact the IRA could have on Europe's
industry.
Habeck said that there was a certain risk of escalating
trade tensions between the United States and China but that he
hoped a constructive solution could be found.
Turning to domestic politics, Habeck also responded to
reports in German media that struggling airport Frankfurt-Hahn
could be bought by a Russian investor, saying his ministry,
which has the power to block takeovers by foreign firms, had
launched a routine review of the process.
(Reporting by Christian Kraemer; Additional reporting by
Christoph Steitz; Editing by Leslie Adler and Stephen Coates)
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