Britain is currently facing a dire situation regarding thousands of jobs in Northern Ireland. As long as Boeing and Bombardier continue to fuel their dispute, this British territory is confronting grave peril. On Sunday, the UK prime minister stipulated that it would go to any necessary length to protect its labor market.
The U.S. International Trade Commission Remains to Decide the Validity of the Punitive Tariff in 2018
It all started last week when the United States claimed a 220% increase in preliminary duty on Bombardier’s CSeries jets. The punitive decision was the government’s answer to a Boeing complaint against its rival.
As a consequence, British trade minister Liam Fox announced he was working on a solution to stop Britain paying for this turn of events with a possible massive job collapse. The minister prelected on this issue during the annual Conservative Party conference.
“It worries me that we’re seeing a rise in protectionist behavior … If we can get them to have a resolution, so much the better.”
The controversial tariff will become valid only if the U.S. International Trade Commission decides to take Boeing’s side in a 2018 session. Once the commission comes through with it, Bombardier will have much to suffer. Even though the concerned company is based in Canada, the aerospace manufacturer depends on Belfast to build wings. As a result, 4,200 people in Belfast got steady, full-time work thanks to Bombardier.
The UK Prime Minister Has a Keen Interest in The Boeing-Bombardier Dispute
The company constitutes the most important financial source for the Northern Ireland capital city. At the same time, the U.S. tariff represents a significant hit to the Brexit dream. Brexit supporters reassured the crowd for numerous times that the British ties with Washington would keep the country an important territory even after 2019. This is when the country is scheduled to part from the European Union.
Prime Minister Theresa May found herself in the middle of this crossfire. She has keen interest in the economy of the Northern Ireland as this is where an influential party that can support her resides. Therefore, May addressed Boeing several warnings and conferred with Donald Trump on the matter. However, this is where her influence stops. If she goes further than this, Theresa May might jeopardize the integrity of all 18,700 jobs Boeing created in the UK.
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