US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced the introduction of new import duty rates for a number of goods from the European Union (EU). As the US trade representative said on Wednesday evening, October 2, Washington from October 18 will impose additional 10 percent duties on European aircraft and 25 percent on a number of agricultural and industrial goods imported from the EU. The list of foodstuffs subject to the new duties includes, inter alia, wine, cheese, butter, olive oil and coffee.
Thus, Washington reacted to the decision of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which confirmed on the eve of the illegality of the Europeans providing subsidies to Airbus. This allegedly caused significant damage to the American company Boeing.
The innovations will primarily concern products and products from those European countries that were most directly related to the provision of subsidies to the European aerospace company, namely Germany, France, Spain and the UK, explained Lighthizer. However, if you look at the list of goods subject to the new import duty rates, it becomes clear that the innovation will affect imports from the entire EU, the dpa news agency notes.
Left room for maneuver
While the WTO has allowed Washington to impose a 100 percent additional duty on European goods totaling $ 7.5 billion, Robert Lighthizer has assured that the US is not knowingly going to make the most of the permitted rate.
"We intend to enter into negotiations with the Europeans to resolve these problems in a way that could help American workers," Lighheiser assured, quoted by dpa.
Earlier, the European Commission warned that if the US imposed trade restrictions on the EU due to the WTO decision, Brussels would be ready to retaliate.
