US threatens tariffs on EU cheese, pork and whiskey

The US is threatening tariffs on $4bn worth of additional EU goods - including Irish whiskey - in a long-running dispute over aircraft subsidies.

This is in addition to tariffs placed on EU goods in April.

The list also includes sausages, hams, pasta, olives and cheeses, including parmesan-reggiano, provolone, edam and gouda.

"Today, the Office of the US Trade Representative is issuing for public comment a supplemental list of products that could potentially be subject to additional duties," it said in a statement.

The potential tariffs are due to "EU subsidies on large civil aircraft", the statement said.

"This supplemental list adds 89 tariff subheadings with an approximate trade value of $4bn to the initial list published on April 12, which included tariff subheadings with an approximate trade value of $21bn," it added.

For more than 14 years, the US and the EU have accused each other of unfairly subsidising aviation giants Boeing and Airbus, respectively, in a tit-for-tat dispute that long predates US President Donald Trump's time in office.

The Boeing-Airbus spat is the longest and most complicated dispute dealt with by the World Trade Organization, which aims to create a level playing field in global trade.

Mr Trump has made taking aim at what he views as unfair trade practices that disadvantage the US a key goal of his presidency, and tariffs are his favoured tool for doing so.