Europe's aviation industries call for retaliatory tariffs against US, urge targeted approach

The German aerospace industry has joined its French counterpart in urging the European Union (EU) to impose retaliatory tariffs only on finished US aircraft and helicopters, rather than on spare parts to avoid unintended harm to third parties, should trade talks with the United States (US) fail . This united stance reflects the deep interconnection between transatlantic aerospace production lines and aims to protect global supply chains.

The German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) made its position clear in a statement to Euronews, emphasizing that targeting finished products is the best course of action.

“If the EU must respond, counter-tariffs should focus strictly on fully finished aerospace end products – such as complete aircraft and helicopters – and explicitly exclude spare parts or critical products,” BDLI stated. “This is essential to avoid unintended harm to European and global production networks.”

The European Commission has drafted a retaliation list worth €95 billion in US goods that could face duties if current negotiations collapse. US aircraft are included on that list, which was open for public consultation until 10 June, and now awaits approval from EU member states.

According to the publication, BDLI’s call aligns with that of Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, who also chairs the French aerospace association GIFAS. In May, Faury told French media that while tariffs on finished aircraft could be justified, applying them to spare parts would be counterproductive, potentially damaging the global aerospace supply chain.

A source close to the discussions confirmed to Euronews that the French government supports this industry-led position. Both German and French stakeholders argue that maintaining the flow of spare parts is critical, as the production processes for major aircraft components are heavily interdependent across the Atlantic. For example, the LEAP engine, which powers aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing, is co-produced by General Electric (US) and Safran (France).

The inclusion of US aircraft on the EU’s draft list has triggered a US investigation, which could allow the Trump administration to impose further tariffs on the European aerospace sector. This comes amid an escalating EU-US trade dispute, which threatens to revive the long-standing rivalry between Boeing and Airbus, despite their current mutual dependence.

Despite the state of the trade talks and the geopolitical escalations in the Middle East demanding US attention in the last weeks, US-EU negotiations remain ongoing. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after meeting US President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Canada this week, said both sides had agreed to speed up talks. Similarly, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at the same summit. A follow-up meeting is planned for later this week in Washington, according to an EU spokesperson.

Amid these developments, pressure is mounting. The US currently imposes tariffs of 50% on EU steel and aluminium, 25% on cars, and 10% on other imports with President Trump having warned he will increase all EU tariffs to 50% unless a "fair" deal is struck by 9 July.

By Nazrin Sadigova