Britain pushes Boeing to drop its Bombardier challenge

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is pressing for U.S. plane maker Boeing to drop its trade challenge against Canadian rival Bombardier and seek a negotiated settlement to try to protect jobs at a plant in Northern Ireland, its business ministry said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May also raised the issue in a call earlier this month to U.S. President Donald Trump, after Boeing complained earlier this year that Bombardier was dumping passenger jets on the U.S. market.

Bombardier is Northern Ireland's largest manufacturing employer.

"Ministers across government have engaged swiftly and extensively with Boeing, Bombardier, the U.S. and Canadian governments. Our priority is to encourage Boeing to drop its case and seek a negotiated settlement with Bombardier," a government spokesman said in a statement on Monday.

"This is a commercial matter but the UK government is working tirelessly to safeguard Bombardier's operations and its highly skilled workers in Belfast."

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)

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