PARIS, May 8 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday urged the U.S. government to drop restrictions on exports of COVID-19 vaccines and components for the vaccines.

Speaking at a European Union summit in Portugal, Macron told a news conference that rich nations had to open up their vaccine capacity to help less-developed countries.

"The key to producing vaccines more quickly for poor countries and developing countries is to produce more, to lift export bans," Macron said.