An agreement about to succeed between Trump and the EU: Airbus should escape customs tasks, as well as certain car manufacturers (but not Ferrari)

The United States and Europe about to sign a commercial armistice? According to Bloomberg, Brussels and Washington’s information, they can soon conclude an agreement in principle on customs tasks that would exempt certain industries considered essential by the EU.

Specifically, this preliminary agreement would impose a 10% customs surcharge to European products imported to the United States, against 50% provided for in the absence of agreement. But certain sectors such as aeronautics, medical team and spirits would be saved, at least in part.

Good news for Airbus, since airplanes and airplanes would benefit from preferential treatment. At the end of April, the European manufacturer of airplanes, Guillaume Faury, said he was worried about the threats for American surcharge:

Companies present in the United States

If Airbus is about to be exempt, it is because the group is present in the US territory. In particular, he uses 2,000 people in his mobile factory (Alabama), where more than 500 commercial aircraft have already met since his commissioning in 2016. According to Goldman Sachs, each Airbus A320 product on mobile devices could have suffered an additional cost of 5 to 6 million dollars with customs tasks of 20%, as planned for Donald Trump.

It is for the same reason that exceptions to certain car manufacturers would be granted, mostly Germans, as part of the agreement. The production of vehicles through the Atlantic, BMW and Mercedes must escape the customs tasks of 25% that are directed to the sector.

Other manufacturers that do not have a production line in the United States cannot benefit from this advantage. This is the case of Ferrari, which had announced in April an increase in its sales prices up to 10% throughout the Atlantic in response to customs tasks.

While negotiations continue, the exact magnitude of tariff exemptions remains to be determined, according to Bloomberg. If the preliminary agreement was concluded, US and European negotiators must agree on a permanent agreement.

As a reminder, Europe initially had until Wednesday, July 9 to agree with the United States. A deadline finally postponed on August 1. Without an agreement by then, the customs duties of 50% could be applied to European exports, since Donald Trump had threatened.