Airbus CEO Supports EU Tariffs if US Talks on Boeing Fail

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has stated that Europe should impose retaliatory tariffs on Boeing aircraft imports if the United States does not lift its 10% tariff on Airbus deliveries. Faury made the comments during a May 6 media briefing hosted by French aerospace association GIFAS.

Faury confirmed that discussions with U.S. officials are ongoing and expressed hope for a negotiated resolution. However, he warned that if talks fail, the European Union should respond with reciprocal tariffs to escalate negotiations.

The existing 10% U.S. tariff applies to new Airbus aircraft imported from Europe, including widebody models not built at Airbus’s U.S. facilities. While Airbus assembles A220s and some A320 family aircraft in Alabama, its A330 and A350 widebodies are produced in Europe and remain subject to the import duties.

According to ch-aviation data, U.S. airlines currently have 79 Airbus widebodies on order. These include six A330-900Ns, twenty A350-1000s, and eight A350-900s for Delta Air Lines, along with 45 A350-900s for United Airlines. Delta CEO Ed Bastian previously stated that his airline would not accept deliveries subject to tariffs.

Faury also noted that U.S.-built Airbus aircraft are not exempt from the tariff impact, as many components are sourced from outside the country.

While the European Union has yet to enact countermeasures, it has prepared a EUR110 billion (USD125 billion) tariff package targeting U.S. imports, including Boeing aircraft, should negotiations break down.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com