US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the decision "confirms once and for all that the EU has long ignored WTO rules, and even worse, EU aircraft subsidies have cost American aerospace companies tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue." He said that the United States would impose tariffs if the EU doesn't follow international trade laws. That would be an escalation at a time when US relations with trading partners are already tense. But the European Union said it planned to take "swift action" to align with the WTO's recommendations.