The U.S. won a long-running dispute at the World Trade Organization against the EU over aircraft subsidies, allowing it to impose steep tariffs on imports from the bloc, Politico reported Sept. 14, citing four EU officials.
The WTO dispute settlement panel's decision, which was relayed confidentially to the U.S. and the EU on Sept. 13, gives the green light to Washington's plans of imposing tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of EU goods.
One of the sources told Politico that the U.S. had won the right to collect €5 billion to €8 billion, while another official said the maximum sum was nearly $10 billion.
The U.S. and the EU have several weeks to add remarks and remove confidential business information before the WTO decision is adopted and made public, Politico said.
In July, the U.S. Trade Representative disclosed 89 product categories with an approximate trade value of $4 billion that it wanted to add to an initial list of EU imports worth about $21 billion that could be subject to tariffs over the subsidy spat. The EU has also threatened retaliatory duties on U.S. products.
The U.S. has accused the EU of unfairly subsidizing Airbus SE, while the bloc has alleged that Washington has done the same with Boeing Co.
The WTO is expected to decide on the EU's complaint against Boeing subsidies in about eight months, Politico reported, citing industry sources. EU and Airbus officials declined Politico's requests for comment.
