German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and United States President Donald Trump speak during a bilateral meeting in Biarritz, in southwestern France, on August 26, 2019, on the third day of the annual Summit of the G7.
NICHOLAS KAMM | AFP | fake pictures
The United States is studying the possibility of applying $ 3.1 billion in additional tariffs to products from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain, in another step that is likely to exacerbate tensions between both sides of the Atlantic.
In a document released Tuesday night, which was first reported by Bloomberg, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said it is considering an “additional list” of products from France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. with tariffs of up to 100%
Products under consideration include olives, coffee, chocolate, beer, gin, some trucks, and machinery.
The potential application of the new rates was opened to public comment on Tuesday, and this will last until July 26. The move is part of a broader US reaction to a long-running dispute with the European Union over subsidies. to large manufacturers of civil aircraft.
The World Trade Organization ruled in October that Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom provided illegal subsidies to aircraft maker Airbus and allowed the United States to impose tariffs worth $ 7.5 billion. In addition, the WTO ruled in December that the European Union had not ended these illegal subsidies, which gave the USA. USA More space to impose new taxes on European products.
The European Commission and the UK government were not immediately available for comment when CNBC contacted them on Wednesday.
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