• Trade war: US tariffs that enter into force today threaten 5,000 jobs in Spain

The European Commission (EC) regretted this Friday the entry into force of the tariffs announced by the United States worth 7.5 billion dollars for community agrifood products, which, according to the Community Executive, leaves no alternative but to respond with the imposition of tariffs on US goods.

"We regret the choice that the US has made to move forward with tariffs. This step leaves us with no alternative but to continue in due course with our own tariffs in the Boeing case, in which the US has been convicted of violating the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), "said European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.

The 25% tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump went into effect last midnight.

They arrive in response to the ruling of the beginning of October of the WTO, which, on complaint by the United States, considered illegal the subsidies received by the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

In parallel, the EU expects a similar ruling early next year against the US for its subsidies to its aeronautical manufacturer Boeing, which will authorize it to impose its own tariffs on US products as a compensation measure, reports Efe.

The countries most affected by US tariffs are Germany, Spain, France and the United Kingdom, although they also hit other European nations.

Malmström said the EC will monitor the impact of these tariffs, "especially in the agriculture sector," and said the institution is "committed to defending European companies, farmers and consumers."

"Imposing tariffs on each other is not in the interest of anyone in the long term. It will inflict very significant damage to a highly integrated supply chain in the aviation sectors in the US and the EU and will result in collateral damage to many other sectors that already suffer under the current commercial tensions, "said the commissioner.

Malmström recalled that both the EU and the US have been found guilty of going against WTO rules and that, like the largest aircraft manufacturers around the world, both "have a joint responsibility to sit down and negotiate an agreement that is balanced and that complies with the WTO. "

Thus, he pointed out that the EU, last July, "shared concrete proposals with the US on clearly identified aviation subsidies and on future support to our respective aeronautical sectors."

"This offer is still on the table," he insisted.

Malmström had requested last Friday by letter to the United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, to begin negotiating an agreement in his trade dispute for subsidies to Airbus and Boeing to avoid imposing tariffs on both sides.

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