BRUSSELS – The European Commission deplored the U.S. decision to impose new $7.5 billion in trade duties against the EU in the Airbus case and promised to impose retaliatory duties, citing US violations in the Boeing case. This was stated on Friday in Brussels, the European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom.
“We regret the US decision to impose duties. This step leaves us no choice but to retaliate by imposing our tariffs in the Boeing case, which established the responsibility of the United States in violation of WTO rules,” she said.
“The European Commission will monitor the effect of US duties and will ensure the protection of European producers, including in the agricultural sector, who will fall under these tariffs,” the European Commissioner said. At the same time, she stressed the confidence of the European Commission that “the introduction of trade tariffs does not meet the long – term interests of both sides,” which will affect both the EU and the US, and most of all-Western aircraft.
“Tariffs could deal a significant blow to the deeply integrated production chains in the US and EU aircraft industry, resulting in collateral damage to many other sectors of the economy,” Malmstrom said.
She recalled that the WTO found both EU violations in the US lawsuit against Airbus and us violations in the EU lawsuit against Boeing. “As the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, the US and the EU have a common responsibility to sit down at the negotiating table and agree on a balanced solution that would comply with WTO rules,” the European Commissioner said. According to her, the EU in July offered the United States a set of specific proposals to determine the rules of granting state subsidies to its aircraft manufacturers that suit both sides.
The office of US trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer confirmed that duties of 10% and 25% on some goods from the EU will come into effect from October 18.
