Posted on 09/11/2017 6:11:47 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Prime Minister Theresa May has asked US President Trump to help broker a deal in a bitter aerospace trade dispute which could financially devastate one of Northern Ireland's biggest employers.
Canadian aerospace giant Bombardier, which employs around 4,500 people in Belfast and accounts for 10% of the region's manufacturing exports, is facing significant costs in a spat with US aeronautics powerhouse Boeing.
The dispute centres over Boeing's allegations that Bombardier received subsidies allowing it to sell its CSeries planes at below-market prices. The US Department of Commerce is expected to announce a decision on whether to impose duties against Bombardier on September 25.
However, the UK Government has been actively lobbying in the US for a compromise between the two companies amid growing concern about the potential implications for Bombardier's Belfast operations.
The Press Association understands that the Prime Minister raised the matter with the US president in a phone call last week.
Business Secretary Greg Clark also recently travelled to Boeing's base in Chicago to discuss the potential impact of the dispute and Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire has been involved in negotiations.
The fact Downing Street has become involved demonstrates the level of concern over the impact an adverse ruling by the US Department of Commerce against Bombardier could have on the future of the Northern Ireland factory.
Northern Ireland currently does not have its own functioning government. The Stormont Executive collapsed in January following a dispute between the two biggest parties, Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
Months of talks between the parties have failed to resolve the political crisis.
Around 1,000 of Bombardier's Belfast employees are involved in the making of the CSeries wings at the centre of the US-Canadian trade dispute.
Boeing filed a petition with the US International Trade Commission and the US Department of Commerce in April, alleging that massive subsidies from the Canadian government have allowed Bombardier to embark "on an aggressive campaign to dump its CSeries aircraft in the United States".
Bombardier has rejected Boeing's claims. Bombardier said the plaintiff is a global powerhouse that has not lost any sales as a result of Bombardier.
The Prime Minister raised the issue and her concern to protect jobs in Northern Ireland during a call with President Trump last Tuesday.
A Government spokesman said: "This is a commercial matter but the UK Government is working tirelessly to safeguard Bombardier's operations and its highly skilled workers in Belfast.
"Ministers across government have engaged swiftly and extensively with Boeing, Bombardier, the US and Canadian governments. Our priority is to encourage Boeing to drop its case and seek a negotiated settlement with Bombardier."
I believe those are likely fine planes, but I feel no desire to help a country run by socialists.
Boeing has largely abandoned the market targeted by the C-100. With Boeing shutting down the DC9/MD80/B717 and with them cramming up to 220 seats in the 737 (which started with about 85 back in the mid-60s when flying was enjoyable), they aren’t going to lose much business to a plane that holds 108 in two classes.
The C-300 is a bit more of a threat (130 in two classes compared with up to 180 in two classes for the 737 Max) but neither Canadian plane competes head to head in the cattle car market.
I fly frequently and the CS is one of my favorites. I much prefer it to the Embraer
Airlines are equipping planes for the Muslim Hajj with standing, rather than sitting seats. Watch that become the standard for coach in about 5 years. LOL
What I get from this is that Northern Ireland needs this business to help reduce NI’s drain on the British economy.
Ergo, Boeing should do the humane thing and endure dumping in their market, an unfair trade situation.
Conclusion — We know what President Trump thinks about deals that hurt the US.
Disclaimer: I know nothing about this.
Bombardier is crooked; got the Amtrac contract via political cronies without even building a prototype. Campaign funding?
I really like your comment - both content and style.
Well done.
Not long after Louis Joseph Armand Bombardier strapped skis to a Model T and called it a snowmobile, Bombardier has been swimming in subsidies from it’s socialist utopia pappy.
It would have been absolutely, utterly impossible for it to have survived this many years were it not for huge Canadian subsidies and “free trade” initiatives which have for nearly a century robbed US companies of lucrative contracts on everything from light rail systems and subway cars to airplanes and defense systems.
This is precisely how the globalists like it.
Thank you!
Isn’t Ms. May the one who made snotty remarks about Trump when he was inaugurated, and was part of the little clicque that disinvited him from visiting Britain? How does one politely tell a proper British lady to go pound sand?
Prime Minister Theresa May has asked US President Trump to help broker a deal in a bitter aerospace trade dispute
Ha... Thanks to PM May for bringing this to PDJT's attention
Trump gets on the phone to Dept of Commerce:
"Whatever it was you decided... Double it."
They ARE fine planes. When I used to make commuter flights, often on Bom-bar-dee-yay aircraft, they were the ONLY ones that controlled cabin pressure so that I NEVER had ear problems on takeoff or landing.
See the next post (No 12).
GFY?
May wants Trump to switch from “American First!” to “Northern Ireland First!”?
As an old redneck corncob, I would say it certainly gets right to the point. I heard El Rushbo quote Shakespeare, “Brevity is the soul of wit,” so it has that, too. Maybe if you added just one word to your brief 3 letters. Say, “GFY, Maam.” Is that dignified enough?
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