The United States may increase the tariff rates on the European goods and impose new ones in the context of WTO decision to reject EU’s latest claims, the statement issued by the office of the U.S. Trade Representative says.

A WTO compliance panel today rejected the claims that it complied with WTO rules by making minor changes to its massive launch aid subsidies to Airbus.  The WTO recently valued the harm caused by these subsidies at $7.5 billion. 

Today’s findings reaffirmed that the subsidies continue to cause adverse effects, and found further that European governments even extended the subsidies by renegotiating launch aid with Airbus.  Furthermore, the WTO panel found that this massive EU corporate welfare continues to cost American aerospace companies significant lost revenue.

“Today’s findings confirm that, despite losing in five previous WTO reports, Europe remains more focused on generating meritless litigation than it is in addressing the massive subsidies to Airbus that continue to harm the U.S. aerospace industry and its workers,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said.  “The EU’s frivolous case proves that strong action is needed to convince the EU that its interests lie in eliminating these market-distorting subsidies now and in the future, so that our industries can compete on a level playing field.”