EU strongarms for Airbus
23 January 2005 - Orange County Register

Letter-writer Tony Massengill is right on the money about the passenger jet market playing field being anything but level. But it’s not just the obvious monetary subsidy that Airbus is getting from the EU: they’re also leaning on potential customers.

Scotland’s national newspaper The Scotsman reported Wednesday that there is more going on behind the scenes. No sooner had Airbus rolled out their new A380 than the European Commission issued an ultimatum to Thailand: buy six A380s or face more tariffs on your exports – above and beyond the new tariff on a plant extract called cumarin the EC enacted December 31st (five days after the tsunami hit).

All this while EU nations and the U.N. call the U.S. “stingy” in its aid efforts to tsunami victims. All a free-market advocate can do is shake his head in disdain.