It seems like an uphill battle to try to sell Danish goods in the US, when a 15 percent tariff has recently been imposed on them. Nevertheless, a Danish delegation led by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) signed a cooperation agreement with the state of California on Friday.
An agreement that should lead to more trade, greater exchange of knowledge and better cooperation. The minister expects this to happen - regardless of the tariff rate.
- The US became our largest export market while Trump was president for the first time, and it is still like that. The truth is that much of Denmark's exports to the US are goods that are produced in the US based on Danish research and knowledge, and that are not affected by the 15 percent tariff, says Løkke.
He notes that California, like Denmark, has the same goal of becoming climate neutral by 2045.
- And they know very well that if they are to achieve that, they need investments in areas where Denmark has some cutting-edge expertise. So there is huge potential here, and we are giving it a push forward with this special cooperation agreement, he says.
During his visit to California, the Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Californian Governor Gavin Newsom, who is in strong opposition to Trump and is predicted by some observers to be a possible future Democratic presidential candidate.
- He is curious and asks how we in Europe view these tariffs that we have now agreed with the USA, and I think that it would have been a different process if he had been president.
- But this is not happening at the expense of having a relationship in Washington and with the White House, it is a supplement, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
California, seen in isolation, is the world's fourth largest economy with a gross domestic product that surpasses Japan's. The state is in demand for equipment and know-how in the areas of water supply, CO2 reduction, IT, agriculture and biotechnology, among other things.
/ritzau/
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