Report: EU Will Be Granted Permission to Tax $4 Billion in US Goods

The long-awaited World Trade Organization decision on how much in tariffs the European Union can use to retaliate for Boeing subsidies has been sent to the parties, Reuters is reporting, and that amount is $4 billion worth of goods. Reuters said the EU is unlikely to impose tariffs before the U.S. election in November.

A spokesperson for the EU in Washington said, “We do not comment on leaks. The decision of the WTO Arbitrator on the level of possible countermeasures for the EU in the Boeing case has not been finalised and is not yet public.

“We regret that the confidentiality of the process has been broken.”

The U.S. has been taxing $7.5 billion worth of EU goods in retaliation for Airbus subsidies since October 2019, though Airbus planes themselves face the lowest punitive tariffs, at 10%, and food and beverage products and a handful of other goods have additional 25% tariffs. An Airbus spokesman said the company doesn't comment on speculation, and it is awaiting the public release of the WTO authorization for EU tariffs.