May 'bitterly disappointed' at Trump administration's tariff decision
27 Sept 2017 7:45 PM IST
London: Theresa May is "bitterly disappointed'' by the US government's decision to impose a 220 percent tariff on a new model of passenger jet built by one of Northern Ireland's biggest employers, Downing Street has said, despite the Prime Minister personally lobbying Donald Trump on the matter.
Unions accused May of being "asleep at the wheel" and said the US Department of Commerce's decision risked thousands of jobs at Bombardier.
The Canadian multinational employs around 4,500 people in Belfast and thousands more jobs in Northern Ireland are supported through the manufacturer's supply chain, according to trade unionists.
The US was expected to impose a tariff on imports of the new jet, a direct competitor for the American aviation giant Boeing. But the sheer size of the tariff is embarrassing for May, who is understood to have raised the issue with the US President in a phone call earlier this month.
The dispute began with complaints from Boeing that Bombardier received unfair state subsidies from the UK and Canada, allowing the sale of airliners at below cost price in America.
Bombardier vowed to fight the ruling which it described as "absurd". The company is due to start delivery of up to 125 new jets to Delta Airlines next year as part of a $5.6bn (£4.2bn) deal signed in 2016.
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 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."
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