Airbus defends free trade amid growing tariff jitters

European planemaker Airbus defended free trade on Tuesday as the aerospace industry faces a growing cluster of economic tensions. The CEO of the planemaker's China operations said Airbus was "very much pro free trade" and its presence there was a showcase of good cooperation between Beijing and Europe. Trade ties between the European Union and China have been marred by a dispute over electric vehicles, while Airbus also faces a potential new transatlantic rift after Donald Trump won U.S. elections with a pledge to impose widespread tariffs. Asked whether Airbus was worried about the possibility of tariffs arising from intensifying trade tensions between China and Europe, Airbus China CEO George Xu said the European group saw free trade as vital for global prosperity. "We’re looking forward to seeing if there is some progress in these discussions," he said, referring to ongoing talks between Beijing and Brussels over a European Union move to slap tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. "We are not afraid of competition and we want to focus our resources to develop the China market and develop partnerships with Chinese partners." Airbus has overtaken Boeing as a supplier to Chinese airlines during a trade rift between Washington and Beijing that began during Donald Trump's first term. The two plane giants were embroiled in an 18-month trade war over aircraft subsidies between the EU and the U.S. involving mutual tariffs that spilled over to other sectors such as food and luxury goods before a five-year truce was declared in 2021.<br/>