Washington increases punitive tariffs on EU aircraft imports

Washington / Berlin (dpa) - In the dispute over illegal EU subsidies for the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, Washington increases the punitive tariffs on EU aircraft imports from 10 to 15 percent. The measure will take effect on March 18, the office of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said.

Washington had been granted the right by the World Trade Organization (WTO) at the end of last year to impose punitive tariffs of up to 100 percent on goods worth $ 7.5 billion.

The Federal Ministry of Economics was calm. "We take note of the announcement from the USA and will analyze it carefully. The tariff increases in the context of the Airbus case have not yet come into force," said the authority on Saturday in Berlin. At the same time, the Ministry again emphasized: "We reject unilateral tariff increases. Ultimately, tariffs harm everyone, including the United States. We need fewer tariffs, not more tariffs."

For its part, the EU is waiting for a WTO decision on illegal subsidies for the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing. A mediator is to set the level of permitted EU retaliation duties in the coming months. The EU is expecting billions of euros.

In this case, the federal government expects a decision "in the next few months". "Then the EU will also be empowered to adopt sanctions against the US. The EU has already made the EU's internal preparations and can then react immediately," it said. However, Germany and the EU are still committed to a constructive solution.