Trump threatens to “strike back” if EU moves ahead with sanctions

“Vwe’ll see what happens. If [os Estados-membros da UE] strike us, then we will counterattack much harder than they do. They don’t want to do anything, I can guarantee that, “Donald Trump said in remarks to reporters, quoted by the Spanish agency Efe, before heading to the State of North Carolina.

Brussels, which was authorized on Tuesday by the OMC moving forward with tariffs retaliatórias € 3.4 billion against the United States, warned that it will do so if they do not agree on aviation aid.

“The EU will immediately engage again with the USA in a positive and constructive way to decide on the next steps, “said the European Commission’s executive vice president with the portfolio of Commerce, Valdis Dombrovskis, in a post on the social network Twitter.

In a statement released by the Mission of USA to the European Union, also on Tuesday, the United States Trade Representative, Robert E. Lighthizer, said that Brussels “has no valid basis for retaliating against any products of the USA“.

“Any imposition of tariffs based on a measure that has been eliminated is clearly contrary to the principles of OMC and will force a response from USA“he added Lighthizer.

The diplomat also said that USA “They are determined to find a resolution to this dispute that addresses the massive subsidies that European governments have provided Airbus and that are hurting United States aerospace workers and companies.”

Robert E. Lighthizer added that Washington is waiting for the “European Union response” to the American proposal to “restore fair competition” and “level the playing field for this sector“.

On Tuesday and reacting to the decision released by OMC, which authorized the EU to to adopt rates retaliatórias against the United States in the case that opposes the two blocks for aid direct aviation, Valdis Dombrovskis he insisted that Brussels prefers “a negotiated agreement” on this type of support.

But he left a warning to the American administration: “If that doesn’t happen, we will be forced to defend our interests and respond proportionately.”

At stake is the commercial dispute between Washington and Brussels over public aid to North American (Boeing) and European (Airbus) aviation, which has lasted for several years, and in the âscope of which OMC has already declared both the United States and the EU guilty.

In a decision published today, the organ appeal OMC determined that “the EU may apply for authorization to to adopt countermeasures in relation to the United States at a level not exceeding, in total, four billion dollars (about 3.4 billion euros) “, according to the document published on the website of internet of the institution.

In that document, the organ appeal OMC justified that the total amount of these tariffs retaliatórias that the EU can now to adopt it is “proportional to the degree and nature of the adverse effects” of United States public aid to Boeing.

And in that EU-friendly ruling, the OMC also needed that these countermeasures against the United States can result in the “suspension of tariff concessions and other obligations” namely in relation to a “list of North American products to be defined in due time”.

In October past, the OMC decided in favor of the United States and authorized the country to apply additional tariffs of $ 7.5 billion (almost seven billion euros) to European products, in retaliation for EU aid to the French aircraft manufacturer, Airbus.

That was the heaviest sanction ever imposed by that organization.

However, in December past, the judges of OMC they argued that these additional tariffs should be reduced by about two billion dollars to close to five billion dollars.

With this permission, the United States adopted fees customs 10% in aeronautics and 25% in agriculture.

In retaliation, Brussels soon warned that it would to adopt similar measures when it had a ‘green light’ from OMC – which happened today – since Washington was also found guilty of supporting Boeing.