CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - Airbus SE (EADSF.PK, EADSY.PK) Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders slammed Brexit and U.S. President Donald Trump's pro-America trade policies as presenting twin threats to its business, while singling out the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union as posing the bigger issue, media reports said.
The developments amount to a 'double whammy' of protectionist hazards, Enders said in London at the annual dinner of the ADS trade association, which represents more than 1,000 aerospace, defense, security and space companies.
Brexit will weaken British industry and aerospace manufacturing in particular by increasing costs and curtailing competitiveness, the CEO reportedly said. While Airbus will seek to mitigate the impact on its business, 'whatever we can do, the net result I'm afraid will be negative'.
Under Trump, the U.S. is 'no longer fighting for opening markets but to close the U.S. market to foreign companies and foreign competitors,' with arch-rival Boeing Co. a direct beneficiary, Enders reportedly said.
Boeing is 'ruthlessly surfing on this 'America-first' wave,' he reportedly said, citing the import duties imposed on the C Series jet built by Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. following complaints from the U.S. company that the model had benefited from illegal state aid.
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