U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer gestures as he speaks during a meeting at the Presidential Palace, in Mexico City, Mexico December 10, 2019. Henry Romero | Reuters

The U.S. is weighing tariffs of up to 100% on European products the Trump administration previously absolved from such duties, targeting some of the euro zone's most emblematic products, including Irish and Scotch whiskies and Cognac. The Office of the United States Trade Representative on Thursday published a list of additional European goods it is now considering for the tariffs amid the fallout of its high-profile dispute with Airbus. The USTR earlier this year published multiple lists of European goods worth more than $10 billion that it had hoped to target in response to its beef with Airbus. In October, Washington moved ahead and imposed tariffs of 10% on large civil aircraft and 25% on agricultural goods from Europe.

Now the USTR is appearing to solicit advice on whether to hike rates on those goods up to 100% as well as add to its earlier list with some goods that the White House had excluded from its final October list. The new items, if added, could also be taxed at a rate up to 100%. Among the myriad new products under consideration include European spirits such as whiskey and Cognac. Other items being considered for tariffs up to 100% range from Spanish olive oil and French cheese to German knives and Portuguese fish fillets. The potential list "once again includes blended whiskies and Cognac ... The fact that they had been excluded from the 'final' October list was a dodged bullet for spirits companies back then. But now the threat is back," wrote Bernstein analyst Trevor Stirling in a note to the brokerage's clients. "This is a full reshuffle — we are potentially seeing a rolling tariff, which we highlighted as a possibility two months ago," Stirling added. The U.S. has long argued that subsidies to Airbus hurt American aircraft giant Boeing and that the EU's efforts to comply with prior WTO rulings against the subsidies aren't enough to even the playing field. But the complaint also represents a chapter in the White House's broader campaign to reduce trade deficits. Starting with broad tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, the administration has sought to broker new, more advantageous trade pacts through the use of taxes and quotas.