WASHINGTON- Senior officials from Boeing Co  and a U.S. aerospace industry trade group on Wednesday urged the U.S. government to narrowly tailor any tariffs imposed on the European Union over illegal aircraft subsidies to avoid harming American manufacturers.

The comments were made in prepared testimony at a hearing held by the U.S. Trade Representative's Office on proposed tariffs on EU goods as part of the dispute.

The United States and the EU have threatened to impose billions of dollars of retaliatory tariffs on planes, tractors and food in a nearly 15-year trans-Atlantic aircraft subsidy dispute at the World Trade Organization over subsidies given to Boeing BA.N and European rival Airbus. 

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; editing by Jonathan Oatis) ((David.Lawder@tr.com; +1 202 354 5854; Reuters Messaging: david.lawder.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))