US slaps 220 per cent duty on Canada's Bombardier jets

The Commerce Department slapped duties of nearly 220 per cent on Canada's Bombardier C Series aircraft in a victory for Boeing that is likely to raise tensions between the United States and its allies Canada and Britain.
Commerce ruled that Montreal-based Bombardier used unfair government subsidies to sell jets at artificially low prices in the US.
"The US values its relationships with Canada, but even our closest allies must play by the rules," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.
Canada responded by saying it "strongly disagrees" with the US move.
"This is clearly aimed at eliminating Bombardier's C Series aircraft from the US market," said Chrystia Freeland, Canada's minister of foreign affairs.

Bombardier, meanwhile, called the decision "absurd .... US trade laws were never intended to be used in this manner, and Boeing is seeking to use a skewed process to stifle competition."

In April, Boeing charged that Bombardier had received at least USD 3 billion in subsidies from the governments of Britain, Canada and the province of Quebec. The Chicago-based aircraft manufacturer asked the Commerce Department and the US International Trade Commission to investigate the alleged "predatory pricing."
Specifically, Boeing said that Bombardier last year sold Delta Air Lines 75 CS100 aircraft for less than it cost to build them.
"Subsidies enabled Bombardier to dump its product into the US market, harming aerospace workers in the United States and throughout Boeing's global supply chain," Boeing said yesterday.

But Delta has said Boeing did not even make the 100-seat jets it needed.
"Boeing has no American-made product to offer because it canceled production of its only aircraft in this size range the 717 more than 10 years ago," Delta said in a statement yesterday.
President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to get tough on trade. He has repeatedly criticized Canada, saying it unfairly blocks US dairy products and subsidizes its softwood lumber industry.
Trump also has threatened to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement if he can't negotiate a better version with Canada and Mexico.