EU issues list of US products for retaliatory tariffs

BRUSSELS

The EU is preparing for a counter-tariff attack against the U.S. over the ongoing Boeing dispute.

The European Commission on Wednesday announced a retaliatory list of U.S. subsidies to Boeing -- including sea foods, cheese, vegetable, dried food, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, chopper -- $20 billion in worth.

Upon EU’s request, a World Trade Organization-appointed arbitrator will determine the exact level of countermeasures.

A final list, based on the products included in Wednesday’s list, will be drawn up by the EU taking into account the WTO arbitrator's decision in the near future.

The Boeing-Airbus dispute

The Boeing-Airbus dispute between the EU and the U.S. has been continuing for about 16 years.

On April 9, U.S. President Donald Trump said his country would slap tariffs on $11 billion worth of EU products.

A day earlier, the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced that it selected a preliminary list of goods to slap the economic penalties on in retaliation for the EU's aircraft subsidies.

Lighthizer's office said it estimates the EU's Airbus subsidies have resulted in $11 billion in harm each year.

On April 11, the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO adopted the reports in which the Appellate Body, the highest WTO instance, confirmed that the U.S. has not taken appropriate action to comply with the WTO rules on subsidies, despite the many rulings against it in the course of the long dispute.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz