EU Head Office Says It Will Impose Trade Sanctions on Washington

[cal04]

Belgium (AP) - The European Union said Thursday it will impose sanctions on U.S. products to punish Washington for failing to repeal an antidumping law ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization. The EU head office said its action would be joined soon by seven other nations, including Japan, South Korea and Brazil, which had all requested the WTO authorize retaliation.

The EU's move would slap additional duties of up to 15 percent as of May 1 on such U.S. products as paper, textiles, machinery and farm produce. The EU head office said it took its latest step "in light of the continuing failure of the United States to bring its legislation in conformity with its international obligations."

The 25-nation EU has long asked for Washington to repeal the 3-year-old legislation and the Bush administration has been working with Congress to bring it into line with its obligations. Yet the EU executive Commission said it was time to bring further action.

It said that according to the latest information, the level of retaliation would amount to slightly less than $28 million. The Geneva-based WTO first ruled the U.S. legislation illegal in 2002 and gave the United States until the end of 2003 to conform. When it didn't, the eight complainants were given the option late last year to impose sanctions.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBCKNTVY6E.html

[MaineDem]

1. Now this could get interesting... (nt)

[fasttense]

2. This is confusing

"The law, known as the Byrd amendment, allows American companies to receive proceeds from anti dumping duties levied on foreign rivals. In four annual distributions, over $1 billion has been distributed to such industries as steel and metal producers and food and household items."

So this law that the EU doesn't like gives the duties collected by the US from foreign rivals who dump to the industries in the US who don't dump?

Not sure this article does a good job of explaining.

[CHIMO]

13. The Article Leaves Much To Be Desired

The duties are to be imposed because of the Byrd amendment. The Byrd amendment encourages companies to have duties imposed because they will benefit.

The dumping has to be affirmed by the WTO to become legit. Thus dumping imposed by US decisions are not accepted by the WTO until it meets their analysis.

The present arrangement has the US establishing dumping fees and then distributing the money collected to the US firms claiming damages.

If all parties acted this way it would quickly lead to trade wars with no more trade between nations.

[patricia92243]

3. Has the US ever been sanctioned before? We have done the sanctioning befo

before, of course, but have we ever been the recipient of it?

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. Why do dominoes come to mind . . ?

.
.
.

Is this a beginning of something?

Ignoring WTO rulings is nothing new for the USA, retaliation by other countries for failure to comply is pretty rare so far, no?

So far the US has danced around WTO and other organizations rulings against it by literally litigating them into oblivion.

Methinks the World is losing patience with the USA - fast . . .

[vonSchloegel]

5. Bush Can't Wait

to trash this legislation. Just like he retreated on all the other gains made during the Clinton Administration. (The CDSOA of 2000 was signed by Clinton) he won't think twice about trashing this one either.

It was just a gift from Senator Robert Byrd to the steel industry anyway, and there is no love lost between the White House and Senator Byrd's office.

[CoffeeCat]

6. The US has just been asked to go to the "naughty circle"...

...because we refuse to clean up our messes.

With BushCo at the helm, we've become a nation of spoiled, selfish, myopic toddlers who throw food on the walls and refuse to clean it up.

When will the average American understand that with BushCo steering the course--that we're no longer the greatest nation on Earth.

We're now reckless stewards of the environment and we're being bitch slapped by the EU.

I'm sure those who produce "paper, textiles, machinery and farm produce" will be ecstatic about this. (sarcasm)

Wake up America!! Your nation is weakening, as the clown in the White House shames us one more time on the world's stage!

[Moderator]

7. kick to combine

[ztn]

8. EU and Canada to Impose Trade Sanctions on US. Japan to follow..

EU to Impose Trade Sanctions on US
By Roger Wilkison
Brussels
31 March 2005



The European Union says it will impose sanctions as of May 1 on several U.S. products to punish Washington for failing to repeal an anti-dumping law that has been ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization, WTO.

The World Trade Organization ruled three years ago that the Byrd Amendment is illegal under international trading rules. It gave Washington until the end of 2003 to repeal the law. When the United States failed to do so, the WTO authorized U.S. trading partners to impose sanctions.

Canada has announced that it will join the EU action, and other major countries like Japan are expected to follow suit.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-03-31-voa55.cfm

[hedda_foil]

9. We actually HAVE products to dump???

[j_sunne]

10. Perhaps....

recycleable soft drink containers? scrap paper pulp? garbage? not much more than that anymore.

Maybe Jack Chick's cartoon religious tracts?

[natrat]

11. nuclear waste

[struggle4progress]

12. EU Imposes Duties on U.S. Imports to Protest Byrd Law (Update4)

EU Imposes Duties on U.S. Imports to Protest Byrd Law (Update4)
March 31 (Bloomberg) -- The European Union will impose duties on U.S. imports to retaliate against a U.S. law that has handed American companies including Timken Co. and U.S. Steel Corp. more than $1 billion in tariffs collected from foreign rivals.

The U.S. Byrd Amendment, ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization, is designed to compensate industries hurt by foreign goods ``dumped'' in the U.S. at below-market prices. President George W. Bush has said the U.S. plans to abide by the WTO judgment.

An extra 15 percent duty on some types of paper, clothing and machinery will be imposed May 1 after ``the continuing failure of the U.S. to bring its legislation into conformity with its international obligations,'' the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said today in a statement in Brussels.

The move adds to trans-Atlantic trade tensions at a time when the EU and U.S. are battling over aid for aircraft makers Airbus SAS and Boeing Co., the EU is challenging tax breaks for U.S. exporters worth $4 billion a year and the U.S. is fighting European resistance to new gene-engineered crops. <snip>

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aRQVhdnaQYCo&refer=us

[Dave Reynolds]

14. If these sanctions fly,

is the next step UN sanctions for being a rogue nation?

[Karenina]

15. Good idea.

Who knows what might follow! Everyone with any sense be lookin' on and remarkin' how die Amis done LOST dey DAMNED MINDS.

1 now officially (having been functionally, for FIFTEEN YEARS) dead white lady in Florida (sumpin be runnin serious amok down there - po chile warnt even a NATIVE and her barely animate body gets to be part of a FREAK SHOW)

100 FREAKS, who get *corp media attention WORLDWIDE 24/7

THOUSANDS DYING DAILY of preventable causes...
TBI funding cut to -0- THESE ARE YOUR *SOLDIERS (moms, dads, aunts, uncles, kids, neighbors, cousins, granpas & grammas u.s.w.) CUT TO -0-

MILLIONS in the streets expressing their opposition to the wanton death and destruction the U.S. is fomenting... Din't see nothin bout DAT? I guess I better go find me a link before somebody be callin me a ANTIMURIKAN bitch...

(Thanks, Terri. You be a involuntary martyr and hubby a hero. Anybody who don't get it now will soon, as the U.S. "feeding tube" be pulled. Less about "killing" than allowing nature to take its course. Your fate gave a whole lot of people a WHOLE LOT to think about. May you enjoy your release from this plane!)

[Dave Reynolds]

16. I thought it was a good idea, too.

I thought the rest of the Security Council would roast our asses for Iraq, maybe things would not have gone so far. SOMETHING needs to wake the home-grown idiots up. I just wish the UN could grow the stones to do it.