PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Aug 17 (AFP) - President George W. Bush on Tuesday repeated his attacks against European subsidies to Airbus Industrie, but stopped short of threatening again to take action at the World Trade Organization.
"We ought to make sure that trade is free and fair," Bush said in a speech here at a factory of American aircraft maker Boeing, Airbus' archrival.
"I was out at the Boeing plant in Seattle (Washington state) and I sent a clear statement about fair trade to the folks in that part of the world. I said we're going to work to get rid of the subsidies of Airbus that make it difficult for Boeing to compete on a fair and level playing field in the world," Bush said.
He was referring to his appearance in the northwestern US state on Friday, when he said he had instructed US Trade Representative Bob Zoellick to tell European official in September that the subsidies are unfair.
Bush said he also told Zoellick to "pursue all options to end these subsidies -- including bringing a WTO case, if need be."
The European Commission said a US-European Union agreement sets out clear rules on state aid for aircraft manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic.
The proper channel for seeking changes to the rules was through negotiations with the EU, the commission said.