US Bombardier ruling: Theresa May 'bitterly disappointed' at Trump administration tariff decision - Independent

US Bombardier ruling: Theresa May 'bitterly disappointed' at Trump administration tariff decision

Bombardier employs around 4,200 people in Belfast and thousands more jobs in Northern Ireland are supported through the manufacturer's supply chain

Ben Chapman

Theresa May had lobbied US President Donald Trump over the dispute, which was sparked by complaints from rival

Prime Minister Theresa May is "bitterly disappointed'' by a US Department of Commerce decision to impose a tariff of nearly 220 per cent on a new model of passenger jet manufactured by Bombardier, one of Northern Ireland's biggest employers, Downing Street said.

The comment came after Ms May was accused of being "asleep at the wheel" as unions warned that thousands of jobs could be put at risk by the US move.

Canadian multinational Bombardier employs around 4,200 people in Belfast and thousands more jobs in Northern Ireland are supported through the manufacturer's supply chain, according to trade unionists.

Thousands of UK jobs at risk as US slaps 220% tariff on Bombardier

Ms May had lobbied US President Donald Trump over the dispute, which was sparked by complaints from rival Boeing that Bombardier received unfair state subsidies from the UK and Canada, allowing the sale of airliners at below cost price in America.

Bombardier is due to start delivery of up to 125 new jets to Delta Airlines next year as part of a $5.6bn deal signed in 2016.

US secretary of commerce Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday: “The US values its relationships with Canada, but even our closest allies must play by the rules.

“The subsidisation of goods by foreign governments is something that the Trump Administration takes very seriously, and we will continue to evaluate and verify the accuracy of this preliminary determination.”

Union leaders slammed the prime minister for failing to do more to lobby for British workers.

GMB national officer, Ross Murdoch described the decision as a "hammer blow to Belfast" and accused Ms May of being "asleep at the wheel when she could and should have been fighting to protect these workers".

Jimmy Kelly, Unite regional secretary, said: “The decision taken by the US department of commerce was not unexpected - unfortunately it is unlikely to be overturned by president Trump whose protectionist tendencies are well-known.

“The threat of punitive tariffs on the C-Series will cast a shadow over Bombardier's future unless the company can source alternative and substantial sales outside the US market.”