Congressman Adam Smith (WA-9), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement about the World Trade Organization’s final report on the European Union’s claims of illegal subsidies to Boeing:
“I am pleased to see the World Trade Organization (WTO) confirming its prior interim ruling that the European Union vastly exaggerated its illegal subsidies claims against Boeing. This $2.7 billion WTO decision against the U.S. is only a fraction of the nearly $19 billion the E.U. had originally claimed, and nothing compared to the massive financial support Airbus has benefitted from in Europe for the past four decades.
“It became clear, after last June’s staggering $20 billion ruling, that the European Union’s ‘launch aid’ loans to Airbus far surpass any U.S. government support for Boeing’s programs. Indeed, the June WTO report asserted that Airbus would have a significantly weaker manufacturing share without Europe’s illegal subsidies, which distorted the market and cost thousands of American aerospace jobs.
“The United States Trade Representative is expected to appeal the findings from today’s final report, and the full extent of the ruling’s impact on Washington State is yet to be determined. However I am encouraged that the WTO has provided further verification that the playing field was uneven, and I applaud Boeing for committing to whatever steps are necessary to fulfill its WTO obligation, once the appeal process concludes.”