...AND FREER...:

U.S. and Europe Avert Showdown on Boeing-Airbus Dispute (ELIZABETH BECKER, 1/11/05, NY Times)

The United States and Europe temporarily headed off a multibillion-dollar trade dispute today by deferring complaints before the World Trade Organization over government subsidies to Boeing and Airbus.

The Bush administration reached a deal with the European Union to negotiate a new agreement between themselves over the next three months rather than continue a case at the W.T.O. If they fail to do so, the issue could become the biggest trade dispute between the two trading giants.

The aim of the negotiations would be to end subsidies to the aircraft industries and agree to "fair market competition" for the development and production of large civilian aircraft in the European Union and the United States.

Too bad we can't get them to do the same with agriculture.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 11, 2005 4:53 PM