As part of a tariff battle between the EU and the US, amusement products imported from the US are to have a 25 per cent tax imposed.
Amusement products are only part of the range of commodities affected by the new Brussels-imposed tax, brought on by a squabble with the US over support for the aircraft manufacturing industry.
European trade organisation Euromat is in touch with its contacts within the European Commission to see whether there is anything that can be done for the industry.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) gave the EU permission to tax up to US$4bn of US products annually in return for subsidies given to Boeing. At the other end of the dispute is Boeing’s main rival, the European-built Airbus.
The new taxes go into operation today across a wide range of imports, but they include amusement products. The dispute saw the US impose tariffs on European products in 2019.
The tit-for-tat battle, with the amusements industry as just one of the victims, may be rebooted now that there is a change in the US presidency.
