WTO Ruling Calls Airbus Aid Illegal

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Getty Images空中客车A380飞机在6月份举行的巴黎航展上做飞行表演两名知情人士透露，世界贸易组织(WTO)上周五裁定飞机生产商空中客车公司(Airbus)接受了欧洲政府的非法补贴。知情人士说，世贸组织在一份对外保密的临时裁定中说，为A380客机提供的优惠政府贷款构成了非法出口补贴。这一裁定可能让美国政府和总部位于芝加哥的波音公司(Boeing Co.)有了法律依据，可以对空客将来的融资提出质疑。空客为欧洲航空防务航天公司(European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.)的旗下子公司。欧洲航空防务航天公司也可能被迫归还过去接受的数十亿美元资金，不过最终判决可能需要几年时间。波音公司和欧洲航空防务航天公司的发言人均拒绝置评。美国于2004年提起针对欧盟的这桩诉讼，质疑欧洲国家政府为空中客车开发新机型而提供的补贴非法，美国称这笔补贴金额为200亿美元。这笔补贴以贷款形式提供，称为研发补助。欧盟迅速作出反应，针对美国对波音的补贴提起诉讼。该案的初步裁定可能还要几个月才能作出。知情人士之一说，美国贸易官员认为本案裁定是一个重大胜利，这是世贸组织14年历史上规模最大数额最高的一次裁定。一位欧盟官员对这一解读表示质疑。这名官员说，裁定结果更为复杂微妙，不能简单地说世贸组织否决了欧盟对A380的支持。另一位知情人士说，世贸组织的裁定并没有绝对禁止欧盟国家政府向空客提供贷款。欧盟委员会发言人Lutz Guellner说，初步的报告只是整件事情的一半。分析师们说，在欧盟诉美国一案中，世贸组织可能裁定波音违反贸易规则。欧盟国家政府目前正与欧洲航空防务航天公司谈判，内容是提供29亿欧元(41亿美元）帮助空客开发新的远程A350机型，与波音787梦想飞机(787 Dreamliner)竞争。此次裁定不包括A350的研发补贴，但美国官员表示他们计划就此向世贸组织申诉。知悉本案情况的人士说，世贸组织还裁定，欧洲国家为空客的研发提供资金以及为主要由空客使用的道路等政府出资建造的基础设施提供资金，均违反了贸易规则。世贸组织仅为其保密裁定出具了两份长约1,000页的报告，分别交与美国和欧盟。世贸组织可能在明年做出美国诉空客一案的最终裁定。分析师们说，世贸组织的裁定可能为政府向飞机生产商提供补贴设立框架，不过最后敲定可能要历时数年。John W. Miller / Daniel Michaels相关阅读欧盟称收到WTO就波音和空客争端作出的临时裁决 2009-09-04WTO将裁定欧洲政府非法补贴空中客车 2009-09-03空客与波音分享埃塞俄比亚航空42亿订单 2009-07-29波音空客面临大量订单取消 2009-06-16 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年09月07日08:32', 'BA'));波音公司英文名称：Boeing Co.总部地点：美国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：BAdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年09月07日08:32', 'ABI.YY'));空中客车公司英文名称：Airbus总部地点：法国股票代码：ARBUdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年09月07日08:32', 'EAD.FR'));European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. Eads N.v.总部地点：荷兰(Netherlands)上市地点：PARB股票代码：EADdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年09月07日08:32', 'EADSY'));European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. EADS N.V. (ADS)总部地点：荷兰(Netherlands)上市地点：美国场外交易粉单市场(Pink Sheet)股票代码：EADSY


The World Trade Organization ruled Friday that plane maker Airbus received illegal subsidies from European governments, according to two people familiar with the matter. The WTO said in a confidential interim ruling that the preferential government loans for the A380 passenger jet constituted an illegal export subsidy, these people said.The decision could give the U.S. government and Chicago-based Boeing Co. legal ammunition to contest future funding for Airbus, a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.EADS could also be forced to repay billions of dollars in past aid, although a final judgement could take several years.Spokesmen for Boeing and EADS declined to comment.The U.S. filed its case against the EU in 2004, contesting what the U.S. alleged was $20 billion in illegal support from European governements for Airbus to develop new models. The support was given as loans, known as launch aid.The EU quickly responded with a case against U.S. support for Boeing. An initial ruling in that case could be months away.U.S. trade officials consider the ruling in the case, the biggest and most expensive in the WTO's 14-year history, to be a 'great victory,' according to one of the people familiar with the matter.An EU official contested that interpretation. 'This report is much more complex and much more complicated' than saying the WTO ruled against EU support for the A380, the official said.Another person familiar with the matter said the ruling doesn't categorically forbid loans from EU governments to Airbus.EU trade spokesman Lutz Guellner said the preliminary report 'is only half the story.' The WTO could rule Boeing has violated trade rules in the EU's case against the U.S., analysts say.  EU governments are now in talks with EADS about providing 2.9 billion euros ($4.1 billion) to help Airbus develop the new long-range A350 to compete with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.  Launch aid to the A350 wasn't covered by the finding, but U.S. officials say they plan to challenge it at the WTO.The WTO also ruled that European funding for research and development at Airbus and for government-built infrastructure such as roads used predominantly by Airbus was illegal under trade rules, one person familiar with the case said.The WTO published only two paper copies of its confidential report, around 1,000 pages long, for the U.S. and EU governments.The WTO's final decision on the U.S. case against Airbus will come out next year. Analysts say the WTO ruling, which possibly won't be finalized for years, could set the framework for state assistance to airplane makers.John W. Miller / Daniel Michaels