It was proposed in an announcement on April 8, 2019, by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that the US will impose tariff countermeasures on certain products from the European Union (EU). These countermeasures are primarily focused on aircraft components in response to the EU’s Airbus subsidies which the World Trade Organization has deemed to be unfair to the United States.
Invoking Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the United States has identified a preliminary list of EU products to be covered under these additional duties and is releasing it for public comment. These duties will remain in place until the EU removes the subsidies to Airbus.
“This case has been in litigation for 14 years, and the time has come for action. The Administration is preparing to respond immediately when the WTO issues its finding on the value of U.S. countermeasures,” said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. “Our ultimate goal is to reach an agreement with the EU to end all WTO-inconsistent subsidies to large civil aircraft. When the EU ends these harmful subsidies, the additional U.S. duties imposed in response can be lifted.”
Links: