The Boeing-Airbus Trade Dispute: Implications for Transatlantic Relations and Global Trade

The Brookings Institution’s Center on the United States and Europe (CUSE) and the Poverty and Global Economy Initiative (PGE) assembled a group of experts to unravel and assess the implications of the Boeing-Airbus trade dispute for transatlantic relations and global trade. Lael Brainard, director of PGE, moderated the discussion with panelists Hugo Paemen, former EU ambassador to the U.S.; Eugene Gholz, assistant professor of public affairs at the University of Texas, Austin; and Bruce Stokes, international economics correspondent for National Journal.

As the U.S. and European negotiators prepare for the resumption of the Doha round of global trade talks in December, an old dispute between the U.S. and Europe threatens an already difficult atmosphere. For over 30 years, Boeing and Airbus, supported by their respective governments, have argued over how various government policies affect and distort what is widely seen as a strategic industry for economic growth and national security. Recently, the growth in Airbus’ share of the global market for aircraft has called into question the continued viability of previous compromises. This week, both sides escalated the dispute by filing formal complaints at the World Trade Organization.

Panelists addressed these complexities and presented their views on how this dispute might play out and how it might affect global trade talks and the market for aircraft.