Boeing labels Northrop anti-U.S. in trade dispute

Published 4:28 pm Thursday, May 15, 2008

Boeing upped its rhetoric today in a lengthy public battle with Northrop Grumman and EADS over a $35 billion tanker contract.

The Air Force awarded the contract to Northrop and EADS in February. Boeing has protested the deal with the GAO.

On Thursday, the Chicago-based Boeing painted Northrop as anti-American in a new post on Boeing’s tanker blog. Boeing said that Northrop has sided with the European Union and Airbus over the United States and Boeing in a dispute in front of the World Trade Organization.

Northrop’s partner for the tanker, EADS, is the parent company of Boeing’s commercial rival Airbus. Airbus’s A330, which serves as the basis for the Northrop tanker, is one of the jets listed in Boeing’s WTO dispute.

Boeing says Northrop is trying to give the impression that the WTO dispute is “much ado about nothing.” Boeing calls Northrop’s actions a “slap” at the U.S. Trade Representative.

Does Boeing’s latest accusation take things a bit too far? Or should does Northrop’s actions deserve the anti-American label?