Boeing Seeks U.S. Review of Record EU Loan to Airbus

Boeing has asked the U.S. government to seek greater transparency from the European Union regarding a €3 billion ($3.43 billion) loan package awarded to Airbus, potentially reviving trade tensions after both sides extended a tariff truce over aircraft subsidies, Tim Hepher and David Shepardson reported for Reuters.

Boeing has asked the U.S. government to examine the EU's record €3 billion loan to Airbus.

The request comes as Airbus explores development of a new commercial aircraft that could enter service as early as 2030, potentially intensifying competition in the global aviation market.

The United States and the European Union spent 17 years litigating mutual claims of illegal aircraft subsidies before the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The dispute resulted in tariffs on a wide range of products before both sides agreed to a five-year truce in 2021.

The truce, originally scheduled to expire on July 6, has reportedly been extended indefinitely, reducing the immediate risk of another transatlantic trade dispute.

In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, obtained by Reuters, Boeing said it was surprised by the June 29 announcement from the European Investment Bank (EIB) approving what it described as the lender's largest-ever corporate loan to Airbus.

Boeing asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to seek "a full accounting of the terms of this loan" and to explain why it complies with the transparency provisions of the 2021 U.S.-EU aircraft subsidy agreement.