New escalation in trade sanctions between the United States and the European Union (EU), in the dispute between Airbus and Boieng, concerning state aid. The EU will impose customs sanctions against the United States, in retaliation for American sanctions, the European Commission announced on Monday (November 9th).
“We have a WTO ruling [Organisation mondiale du commerce] on the Boeing case, which allows us to impose taxes, and that’s what we’re doing ”, said Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for the Economy, during a press statement, while specifying that Brussels remained “Open to a negotiated solution”. European Union trade ministers are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss in particular the trade relationship with the United States.
Brussels is nevertheless seeking to reach an agreement with the United States to get out of the negative spiral of sanctions. “As the EU has said on numerous occasions, we are ready to suspend or withdraw our taxes at any time, whether the United States suspends or withdraws their taxes.”, explained Dombrovskis.
Up to 4 billion customs taxes
The WTO authorized in mid-October the EU to take retaliatory measures against Washington, in this sixteen-year-old commercial soap opera. These measures could represent up to 4 billion in customs taxes on American products. Airliners produced in the United States, tractors, but also sweet potatoes, peanuts, frozen orange juice, tobacco, ketchup or even Pacific salmon could thus be targeted, according to a list obtained by Agence France-Presse.
These taxes would mirror the authorization granted last year to the United States to impose taxes on nearly 7.5 billion dollars of European goods and services imported each year, the heaviest sanction ever authorized by the United States. ‘WTO.
The European aircraft manufacturer and its American competitor, and through them Brussels and Washington, have been clashing since October 2004 before the WTO, justice of the peace for world trade, over the public aid paid to the two groups, deemed illegal on both sides. ‘other.
