Transatlantic relations could reach a new low next month as the European Union readies tariffs on billions of dollars of American exports aimed at politically important industries for President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress.
The EU has asked the World Trade Organization to give it the green light to place levies on $11.2-billion of US products over a long-running aircraft subsidies dispute. A ruling is expected as soon as July and the EU is planning to target coal producers, farmers and fisheries, in addition to the makers of aircrafts and parts. Targeting the $2.7-billion in coal exports to the EU would hit at the base of Trump’s support and would add another headache for the struggling industry. Electricity consumption has fallen after factories, offices and schools closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, dragging down demand for coal.