Report: Potential EU Tariffs Could Hit US Imports

The European Commission created a list of about $20 billion in U.S. imports that it could raise duties on, according to an April 12 report from Reuters. The potential tariffs stem from a World Trade Organization dispute between the U.S. and the European Union over aircraft subsidies given Boeing. The U.S. had previously identified $11 billion in European imports that could be targets of retaliatory tariffs if the World Trade Organization authorizes that level of compensation in a similar WTO dispute over subsidies for Airbus (see 1904090057).

The EU Commission had previously said it was beginning “preparatory work on countermeasures” arising from the Boeing WTO dispute (see 1904090088). Reuters said the Commission is expected to publish on April 17 an adjustable list of items it could levy tariffs against. The total value of U.S. imports on the list could be less than $20 billion, Reuters said, noting that EU had initially asked the WTO to authorize countermeasures of $12 billion.