A Bombardier CS300 jet, part of the C-series which had been threatened with heavy tariffs Thousands of jobs in Northern Ireland appear to have been saved after plane maker Bombardier won a legal battle in the US that has overturned damaging import tariffs on its C-Series aircraft.
On Friday the US International Trade Commission (ITC) voted unanimously against Boeing in favour of its Canadian rival Bombardier after Donald Trump’s administration had threatened to impose duties of 292%.
The decision defied the expectations of both the British government and trade unions in Northern Ireland. Theresa May held talks with Trump over the dispute at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the prime minister is reported to have reiterated the importance of Bombardier to the Northern Irish economy.
Boeing had complained to US authorities that the C-Series jets were being sold to the US airline Delta below their production cost and had been given illegal subsidies from the UK and Canadian governments.
But the commission voted 4-0 in favour of Bombardier against Boeing, which had raised a complaint about the Canadian manufacturer receiving state subsidies.
Boeing had initially won a ruling in the US that resulted in the imposition of the tariff on Bombardier’s jets, which were built for a number of US airlines.