Europe unhappy over US deal

The leaders of France and Germany said yesterday they would consult their EU partners over concerns that protectionism is at play in a big US military tanker deal that looks set to go to Boeing. American defence contractor Northrop Grumman and its European partner EADS withdrew last week from a long-running competition to supply tanker planes to the US Air Force, saying the rules laid out for the bidders to follow favoured rival Boeing.