Call on companies to abolish surcharge

One hundred and thirteen American and European organizations representing the wine, spirits, motorcycle and clothing sectors”urge“to remove the European Union and the United States”Fixed» Surcharge on their products, punished by transatlantic trade disputes. These taxes were temporarily suspended for four months at the start of Joe Biden’s term.

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encouraging sign

The European Union and the United States engaged them, with the support of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to subsidize public aid to their respective aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing. Professional organizations welcome to a press release received on Friday”Positive steps have been taken in recent months to quell disputes and hopefully both sides can build on this positive environment to ensure a final closure.» Penal tax on these products. The leaders of the US and the European Union will meet on 15 June at a summit in Brussels.

In mid-May, the EU made 1. left to double^is Surcharges imposed on various American products (notably whisky) in response to customs duties on European steel and aluminum that were decided by former President Donald Trump in March 2018. Now it is up to the United States tomove from words to deedsTo resolve the conflict, the Vice President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, announced on Wednesday, days before a meeting in Brussels between Joe Biden and the two EU chiefs, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen.

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Pleasing Biden?

Signs of appeasement have been evident since Joe Biden came to power, following rising tensions under Donald Trump, over the issue of commercial retaliation linked to the Airbus/Boeing dispute. In October 2019, a punitive tax was subsequently imposed on a range of European products (French wines, Italian cheeses, Scottish whiskeys, etc.). In a mirror decision, a year later, the European Union imposed higher taxes on some American products, including spirits. Then in January 2021, the United States further increased the surcharge on European products.

In a spirit of appeasement, the United States and the European Union suspended all these surcharges related to the aeronautical dispute in March. The four-month measure is set to end on July 11. Hence the concern of the respective economic sectors. “Businesses need visibility“To be able to prepare your shipments to the other side of the Atlantic, the general representative of the Federation of Exporters of Wine and Spirits (FEVS) tells AFP Nicolas Ozanam.”We would like to get a very strong and clear signal right now that these taxes will not be reinstated.he said. “we are cautious optimists”, points to AFP Chris Swonger, president of the American Distilled Spirits Council, for his part of the passage in Paris.