A spokesman for the European Commission, the EU’s executive, said it is closely following the U.S. review but declined to comment further. Kate Linton, the U.S. official overseeing the case, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Trade experts say they don’t expect the beef dispute to spiral into a trade war as long as the U.S. and EU stick to the WTO guidelines. But some lawmakers and business groups are concerned about Mr. Trump’s trade stance overall, including policies that appear to challenge the authority of the WTO.
Motorcycle makers, for instance, are worried that if the beef case spreads beyond farm products, their industry and other manufactured goods could be dragged into high-profile agricultural cases. Harley-Davidson and its large-engine competitors including BMW AG aren’t affected by the current case, but the Wisconsin-based manufacturer and other American motorcycle producers say they oppose tariffs on light European motorcycles because they could draw the industry into trade disputes around the world.
Mr. Trump appears keenly aware of high overseas tariffs on Harleys, and he warned trading partners over the issue in his February address to Congress.
Source: WSJ
Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-weighs-beef-against-scooters-cheese-in-trade-dispute-with-eu-1490785203
