Potentially $700 million (€596 million) in retaliatory trade penalties against some of the most important US seafood exports to Europe -- most notably Alaska pollock-- are closer to being imposed.

The European Union should gain formal clearance next week to impose tariffs on $4 billion (€3 billion) of annual US imports, which include key seafood species, as part of a 16-year-old dispute over aircraft subsidies, Reuters reported Monday.