US lawmakers to attend Paris Airshow amid tariff, national security concerns

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -More than two dozen U.S. lawmakers are set to attend the Paris Airshow next week amid rising concerns about potential American aerospace tariffs and national security issues, lawmakers told Reuters.

Senators Jerry Moran and Jeanne Shaheen will lead a previously unreported bipartisan delegation of 11 U.S. senators, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, as well as about a dozen U.S. governors and more than a dozen House lawmakers led by Representative Sam Graves, who heads the House Transportation Committee.

"As China continues to exert its aggression on democratic countries and Russia prolongs its unjust war in Ukraine, the U.S. must partner with our allies to bolster our national security and promote economic partnerships," said Moran, the Republican senator who chairs a Senate aviation subcommittee.

Airbus and Boeing are both boosting U.S. investments.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders are among the state officials attending as they make the case for aerospace companies to boost U.S. investments.

The push comes as global aerospace companies and U.S. airlines have warned new tariffs on imported commercial aircraft, jet engines and parts could put air safety and the supply chain at risk or trigger other unintended consequences like higher ticket prices.

"Unfortunately, our manufacturers are experiencing severe disruptions as a result of this administration’s tariffs and our allies are questioning our commitment to mutual defense," Shaheen said, adding "it’s especially important for this bipartisan delegation to reaffirm that America remains a reliable, stable partner and that our capabilities remain unmatched – and that’s exactly what we intend to do."

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau are also attending the show.

The industry already faces 10% tariffs on nearly all imported planes and parts after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping duties on trade partners in April.

Last month, the Commerce Department opened an investigation known as Section 232 looking at risks to U.S. national security from imported goods, which could be used as a basis for even higher tariffs on imported planes, engines and parts.

Airlines and manufacturers have been lobbying Trump to restore a tariff-free regime under the 1979 Civil Aircraft Agreement, in which the U.S. sector enjoyed a $75 billion annual trade surplus. According to the agreement, parts must be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to be deemed tariff-free.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Diane Craft)