German lawmaker Bernd Lange, chairman of the European Parliament's ’ trade committee, warned in the coming weeks that the longstanding Airbus-Boeing dispute could jeopardize the EU-US trade deal signed last summer if transatlantic tensions flare up again.
July 2025’te The Turnberry Agreement finalized in ’, Scotland by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der LeyenThe implementation of ’ is entering its final phase, which EU lawmakers are expected to ratify in a vote next Tuesday.
However, the five-year truce between US aviation giant Boeing and European Competitor Airbus over mutual subsidy claims ends on July 11, ’; The Trump administration and the European Commission have not yet reached an agreement on an extension.
Lange, parliament's chief negotiator on the EU-US deal, told reporters at a meeting with Socialist lawmakers on Thursday, “Will this lead to another tension? Nobody knows, ” said.
A member of the European Parliament worries that a renewed aviation and space dispute could further strain transatlantic trade ties after a year of intense tensions.
Lange euronews’e “I hope this doesn't blow up, ” said.
Turnberry deal remains fragile
The war between Boeing and Airbus goes back more than two decades. The United States first sued the World Trade Organization (WTO) for allegedly providing AB’ with illegal financial support to Airbus’. Brussels responded with its own complaint, accusing Washington’ of illegally supporting Boeing’.
The dispute eventually turned into a tariff war; Both sides imposed punitive taxes on products ranging from wine and spirits to cheese and tobacco, affecting $11.5 billion in trade.
In 2021, a ceasefire was reached under the Biden administration in ’, which came into force on July 11 of that year, and retaliatory measures were suspended for five years. However, no extension has been announced since then.
Olof Gill, vice-president of the commission, told euronews’e: “ Negotiations with the United States are underway to ensure stability and certainty and to continue the suspension of countermeasures on both sides.”
The Trump administration said on Trade Policy Agenda 2026 that the U.S. Trade Representative in ’ will decide in July whether to take action in the Section 301 investigation involving the enforcement of U.S. rights in World Trade Organization disputes over large civilian aircraft in “.
Under Article 301 of the 1974 Commercial Code, the U.S. may impose customs duties on its trading partners.
Last week at Washington ’ was threatenedImplementing a 10% customs duty on EU goods instead of forced labour following the Section 301 investigation. If implemented, these taxes will be added to the most privileged country tariffs available, and average U.S. tariffs on EU goods will rise above the 15 percent ceiling agreed under the Turnberry agreement.
Under the agreement, which EU lawmakers are expected to adopt next week, the EU has pledged to eliminate tariffs on U.S. goods. But lawmakers have fought hard to protect the deal from future U.S. tariff threats and take security measures to ensure compliance with the 15 percent ’ limit.
The deal always seemed fragile. Trump has repeatedly used tariffs as leverage in non-commercial disputes, from his attempts to buy Greenland ’ earlier this year to his more recent initiative. The threat isGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz’in will impose a 25% tariff on EU cars after Iran criticized the war with ’.
If the Airbus-Boeing dispute flares up again, this could give the US president another excuse to terminate the 2025 agreement.
