USA and Britain have agreed to temporarily suspend customs duties

USA and Britain have reached an agreement to temporarily suspend retaliatory duties on certain goods, such as Scotch whiskey, which have been introduced in a long-running trade dispute over subsidies in civil aviation. The suspension will last for four months and also applies to items such as cheese, pork, biscuits or cashmere and machinery. The administration of former US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on various types of food, wine and spirits from Europe, including Scotch whiskey, which, according to its producers, threatens their future. The suspension is aimed at "both parties" focusing on dispute settlement negotiations, "the UK government said on Thursday. This decision means that the goods in question will not be subject to a duty of 25 percent for four months. However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's priority is to reach a broader trade agreement with President Joe Biden's new administration. Britain unilaterally cut tariffs on some US products in January in an effort to ease trade tensions. The former Trump government has not repaid the concession to the United Kingdom. The latest, albeit only temporary, tariff abolition by the US could help resolve part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute over subsidies for aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus. The dispute has been going on for 17 years and concerns the USA and four European countries that produce aircraft or parts for Airbus: Britain, Germany, France and Spain.