US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned the European Union on Monday that a record $3.4 billion loan to Airbus threatens the transatlantic trade truce, including the agreement covering large civil aircraft financing. The European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU's official lender, made the loan in June. Greer expressed frustration that his office had received no details despite repeated requests.
Boeing asked the US government in July to seek transparency about the loan. Speculation at the time suggested Airbus would use the money to develop a new aircraft model. Greer said the situation creates substantial uncertainty for transatlantic aerospace trade. Greer urged a swift resolution to preserve market-driven aerospace production and avoid breaching the aircraft financing agreement. USTR is examining whether the loan's terms constitute a subsidy to Airbus, as the World Trade Organization has previously found with such loans.
The US and EU reached a five-year truce in 2021 after a 17-year World Trade Organization dispute over alleged aircraft subsidies. Both sides secured partial victories during the dispute. The truce prevented reciprocal tariffs covering about $11.5 billion in trade.
The truce received an extension in July after the European Parliament approved a wider trade agreement with the US. The wider agreement eliminated EU tariffs on US industrial goods in exchange for a 15% US tariff on most EU goods. US President Donald Trump had threatened higher tariffs unless EU member states ratified the agreement by July 4. The agreement was initially reached in July 2025.
Airbus and Boeing did not immediately answer requests on Monday for comment about Greer's statement. The EIB said in July that the lender finances thousands of companies annually and denied giving Airbus unusual support. An EIB spokesperson described the financing as a normal interest-bearing loan within the lender's regular activities. Airbus Chief Financial Officer Thomas Toepfer told reporters in London in July that Airbus obtained the loan on market terms.
USTR Warns EU Airbus Loan Risks Trade Truce
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Summary
USTR Jamieson Greer warned the EU that a $3.4 billion EIB loan to Airbus risks undoing the transatlantic trade truce. Greer criticized the lack of transparency and called for a quick fix. The 2021 WTO deal was extended in July after EU lawmakers approved a broader trade pact. EIB called the loan a standard transaction, while Airbus CFO Thomas Toepfer said terms were market-based. On-chain news continues to track global trade tensions. AI + crypto news platforms highlight the intersection of policy and digital assets.
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