9.ª legislatura Baroness Nosheena MOBARIK

. – The UK is among the countries most affected by the countermeasures imposed by the US in response to the WTO Airbus ruling. I am particularly concerned about the impact on the Scotch whisky industry, which faces 25% tariffs through no fault of its own. This has an unacceptable impact on jobs, certainty, trade and investment in the sector. I was therefore keen to see a resolution which focused on the importance of a negotiated settlement to avoid endless retaliatory measures by the EU and the US which help no one. However, unfortunately, the resolution adopted today takes a rather short-term view and I could not therefore support it. It focuses on compensation by means of budget increases and promotional activities and blames the US for the current situation, rather than addressing the root cause of the problems. The only way to solve this is to enhance diplomacy between both jurisdictions to de-escalate tensions so that a solution can be found. EU institutions and governments should better understand the negative impact of protectionism and tariffs on businesses and constituents before making impulsive decisions. I hope that a solution will be found soon so that the EU and US can move on with confidence.