US Backs 300% Duties on Bombardier

The US Commerce Department has notched up proposed trade duties on Bombardier Inc CSeries jets to nearly 300%, affirming Boeing Co’s complaint that the Canadian company received illegal subsidies and dumped the planes at “absurdly low” prices, Reuters reported. The decision underscored the defensive trade policy of US President Donald Trump, and could effectively halt sales of Bombardier’s innovative new plane to US airlines by quadrupling the cost of the jets imported to the United States. The Commerce Department proposed a 79.82% antidumping duty on Friday, on top of a 219.63% duty for subsidies announced last week. The new duty follows a preliminary finding that Bombardier sold 75 CSeries jets below cost to Delta Air Lines Inc in 2016. The total was well above the 80% Boeing sought in its complaint. The proposed duties would not take effect unless affirmed by the US International Trade Commission early next year.