to end illegal subsidies for plane-maker Airbus,
which prompted the Trump administration to
impose tariffs on nearly $7.5 billion worth of EU
goods in October.
“Now is the time for Airbus and the European
Union to finally come into compliance by
ending illegal launch aid subsidies once and for
all and addressing the harm they have caused
the United States aerospace industry and its
workers,” Watt said.
Liias said in a statement a legislative solution
was a “critically important issue for our
state’s economy.”
“We share Boeing’s concern that retaliatory
tariffs will hurt not only our state’s aircraft
industry, but other Washington-based exporters
and family-wage jobs here in Washington,”
Liias wrote.
Sullivan said that that goal of the legislation
is to “protect family-wage, good-paying jobs
provided by the aerospace industry and other
sectors that will be impacted by tariffs if the
legislature does not act this session.”
Gov. Jay Inslee said he would be working with
lawmakers and Boeing officials to expedite
the bill.
“There is broad agreement in Olympia that we
need to act this session to address the WTO
issue in order to avoid retaliatory tariffs that
would damage not just our commercial aircraft
industry, but other important Washington
exports,” he said in a written statement.
The bills are not subject to normal legislative
deadlines because they’re considered necessary
to implement the budget. The 60-day legislative
session ends March 12.