President Donald Trump's threat this week to impose tariffs on
$11 billion worth of European Union products, including
commercial aircraft, has deepened a long-running trans-Atlantic
subsidy dispute.
The United States and Europe have been locked in a years-long
spat over mutual claims of illegal aid to Airbus and Boeing to
help them gain advantage in the world jet business.
"A clash between Boeing and Airbus would be absurd simply
because our two industries are totally intertwined, we depend on
each other for a number of components," Bruno Le Maire said in
remarks at the French Institute of Foreign Relations.
"A commercial war between Boeing and Airbus will only play into
the hands of COMAC," he added, referring to Commercial Aircraft
Corp of China Ltd.
COMAC is leading China's push to become a global civil aerospace
player. In November the company and Russia's United Aircraft
Corp unveiled a life-sized model of a proposed widebody longhaul
jet, and in December COMAC'S C919 narrowbody passenger jet
completed its first test flight.
Le Maire said Europe had the means to retaliate to any U.S.
sanctions on EU goods, but added: "It is infinitely preferable
that together with our U.S. allies we find the path toward a
compromise."
(Reporting by Yann Le Guernigou; Writing by Richard Lough;
Editing by David Holmes)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|