CEOE regrets the maintenance by the US Commercial Administration of the list of products subject to a tariff increase, by virtue of the decision adopted by the dispute settlement body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the illegal aid granted to AIRBUS; and asks the Spanish, European and US Administrations to resolve as soon as possible a conflict – that of the illegal aid granted to the AIRBUS and BOEING companies – which is having a negative and unfair impact on other economic sectors and on trade relations between the Union European and United States.
These compensatory measures by the US Administration, which include, just to mention a few examples, products such as wine and olive oil, disproportionately harm the exports of the Spanish agri-food sector to the US market.
The decision adopted a few days ago by the United States Administration is also unjustified, if one takes into account that the aeronautical consortium AIRBUS announced on July 24 that the Spanish and French governments had reviewed the clauses of their respective aid contracts for the aeronautical company European Union and, therefore, the last contentious point that justified the decision adopted by the dispute body of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Therefore, CEOE considers that the resolution of this conflict should be among the top priorities of ambitious Spanish and European agendas, aimed at resolving trade conflicts and strengthening relations with the United States, an essential economic, commercial and technological partner for the Spanish companies.
The United States is the second most important destination for Spanish direct investment abroad, the second most important destination for exports outside the European Union and an essential market for many sectors of the Spanish economy, among which the agri-food industry stands out, which last year it exported food and beverages to the North American market in excess of 1,900 million euros.