AIRCRAFT maker Bombardier faces US tariffs of almost 300% on its passenger jets, sparking fears of job losses at its Belfast plant.
The US Commerce Department announced the duties yesterday amid a trade dispute between the Canadian manufacturer and its US rival Boeing.
Boeing has alleged that Bombardier received unfair subsidies from the British and Canadian governments and sold their C Series jets at below cost in the US.
The US department set trade duties of about 292% - slightly lower than an earlier finding.
A final decision on the tariffs is expected in February, although it is understood this can be appealed.
The US Commerce Department investigated Bombardier's US sales after a petition from Boeing.
The dispute has raised fears of job losses in Belfast. Bombardier employs around 1,000 people linked to the C Series at its plant in the east of the city.
In a statement last night, Bombardier hit out at the Commerce Department's ruling.
Mike Nadolski, Bombardier's vice president of Communications and Public Affairs, claimed the decision "is divorced from... reality and ignores long-standing business practices in the aerospace industry, including launch pricing and the financing of multibillion dollar aircraft programs".
"Moreover, we are deeply disappointed that the Commerce Department did not take this opportunity to rectify its past errors," he said.
"We remain confident that at the end of the process, the United States International Trade Commission will reach the right conclusion, which is that the C Series benefits the US aerospace industry, US airlines, and the US flying public."
