Five Nations, EU Urge Trump Not to Impose New Airplane Tariffs

Five nations and the European Union, as well as airlines and aerospace firms worldwide, urged the Trump administration not to impose new national security tariffs on imported commercial planes and parts, documents released on June 10 showed.

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WASHINGTON -

Airlines and plane makers have been lobbying President Donald Trump to restore the tariff-free regime under the 1979 Civil Aircraft Agreement that has yielded an annual trade surplus of US$75 billion (S$96.5 billion) for the US industry.

The documents, made public by the US Commerce Department, bared concerns over the fallout of possible new tariffs expressed by companies as well as nations such as Canada, China, Japan, Mexico and Switzerland, besides the EU.

"As reliable trading partners, the European Union and United States should strengthen their trade regarding aircraft and aircraft parts, rather than hinder it by imposing trade restrictions," the EU wrote.

It would consider its options "to ensure a level playing field", it added.

Mr. Trump has already imposed tariffs of 10 per cent on nearly all airplane and parts imports.