Spain deplores continued U.S. tariffs on EU goods: minister

MADRID (Reuters) – Spain is pleased the United States decided not to increase tariffs on European Union goods, Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Friday, but sharply criticised the fact any tariffs remained in force.

“We deplore the fact that there are still tariffs on Spanish products,” Gonzalez Laya told Reuters in an interview two days after Washington said it would keep 15% tariffs on Airbus aircraft and 25% tariffs on other European goods despite moves to resolve a dispute over aircraft subsidies.

As the aviation sector faces crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, “the useful thing would be to discuss a framework to regulate the support countries give to their aviation sectors, not to do ourselves more damage with retaliatory measures,” she said.

(Reporting by Isla Binnie; Editing by Frances Kerry)