Brussels (AFP)
The European Union will impose customs sanctions against the United States, in retaliation for American sanctions, in the dispute between Airbus and Boeing over state aid, the European Commission announced on Monday.
"We have a WTO ruling on the Boeing case, which allows us to impose taxes and that is what we are doing," said Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for the Economy, in a statement to the press, while specifying that Brussels remained "open to a negotiated solution".
The trade ministers of the European Union are meeting this Monday in Brussels 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 its taxes," explained Dombrovskis.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) authorized the EU to take retaliatory measures against Washington in mid-October in this 16-year-old trade 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 AFP.
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 public aid paid to the two groups, deemed illegal on both sides. 'other.
© 2020 AFP