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| - The US Chamber of Commerce on Friday called on Washington to lift restrictions on European visitors to the United States, as Brussels has done for American travelers. The European Union, which had its tourism sector devasted by travel restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, has opened up to Americans who are vaccinated or offer negative Covid tests, but the United States has yet to do the same. "We call on the administration to reciprocate and allow for the return of European travelers to the United States as soon as possible," said Marjorie Chorlins, senior vice president for European Affairs of the chamber, which is the largest business group in the country. "The resumption of safe transatlantic travel is critically important for our nation's economic recovery, as in-person business engagements and international tourism will help drive economic growth and job creation for Americans across the country." Speaking during a visit to France on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced hope Europeans would again be able to travel to the United States. "I hope that this will happen quickly. We really want to. I hope it will be a matter of weeks rather than months," Blinken told an online forum with young French people on the Brut network. However he pointed to the rise of the Delta variant, which first emerged in India and has caused renewed concerns in Western countries that had fought Covid-19. The United States arguably has less political pressure to lift restrictions. While Southern European nations dependent on tourism pushed for the EU to open up, US President Joe Biden was elected in part on his promises to better address the pandemic. cs/st
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