US suspends tariffs on UK goods in Airbus-Boeing dispute

The U.S. will suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.K. products caught up in the longstanding dispute over illegal aid to Boeing Co. and Airbus SE in a boost for post-Brexit Britain’s trade agenda.

The tariff suspension will last four months to “focus on negotiating a balanced settlement to the disputes,” the U.K. government said in a statement on Thursday. The decision means goods like Scotch whisky, biscuits and clotted cream can be imported to the U.S. from Britain without being subject to an additional 25% duty.

Removing tariffs on U.K-U.S. commerce has been a priority for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government as they seek a broader trade deal with President Joe Biden’s administration. Britain dropped tariffs on some U.S. products indefinitely in January in a bid to reduce trade tensions. The former Trump administration did not reciprocate the U.K.’s concession.