U.S. Fresh blueberries, dates, grapefruit and sweet potatoes are among U.S. agricultural products have been hit with 25% retaliatory tariffs by the European Union in mid-November.
The retaliatory tariffs of nearly $4 billion were approved by the World Trade Organization in October and relate to a long-running dispute between the U.S. and the EU over civil aviation subsidies.
U.S. tariffs on several billion dollars worth of EU products have been in place about a year, related to a WTO case against Airbus, according to Reuters.
The American Farm Bureau Federation reports that U.S farm products make up more than 60% of the EU tariffs. The EU also put in place a 15% retaliatory tariff on civilian aircraft, along with the 25% rate for food, agricultural and industrial goods.
“As is frequently the case, U.S. food and agriculture producers are unfortunately being dragged into a dispute that they had nothing to do with,” according to a Farm Bureau statement.
Accounting for more than $146 million in exports to the European Union in 2019, sweet potatoes are the third largest U.S. agricultural commodity hit by the tariffs, according to Farm Bureau. U.S. fresh exports of grapefruit to the EU were close to $17 million in 2019, according to U.S Department of Agriculture statistics.
“The United States is disappointed by the action taken by the EU today,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a Nov. 9 news release. “The alleged subsidy to Boeing was repealed seven months ago.
The EU has long proclaimed its commitment to following WTO rules, but today’s announcement shows they do so only when convenient to them.”
