Airbus CEO calls on EU to resolve tariff conflict with US

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury called on the European Union to patch up its shaky partnership with the US, warning that the bloc risks falling behind as other regions recover from the coronavirus pandemic. “Asia is going faster than the rest of the world,” Faury said Monday. “I’m really worried we’ll emerge late and weakened.” Trade tensions between the EU and the US threaten to bog down Airbus and its US rival Boeing as they try to claw their way back from the worst aviation crisis in history. Meanwhile, a new Asia-Pacific trade deal shows the risks of Europe and the US continuing to battle each other on trade rather than working together, Faury said. The Airbus CEO said that while he agreed with the EU’s recent decision to impose retaliatory tariffs on US aircraft, an escalating trade war “would not be good for Boeing, Airbus or the industry.” US President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on EU-built planes and other goods last year, amplifying a 16-year rift between the two dominant planemakers. His defeat by challenger Joe Biden in this month’s election has led to calls for a reset. “It’s obvious this conflict neither helps customers nor industry,” Faury said.<br/>