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WTO members protest U.S. anti-dumping fine law
Thursday, December 14, 2000
BLOOMBERG NEWS
GENEVA -- The European Union, Japan and several other WTO countries may challenge a U.S. law that would award American companies the proceeds of anti-dumping tariffs, people familiar with the matter said yesterday.
"Japan has some concerns" regarding the law, said Mitsuhiro Wada, a trade counselor at the Japanese mission in Geneva. "We are conducting consultations with other WTO members and are now considering whether we should bring a case" to the World Trade Organization.
The legislation, which was signed by President Clinton Oct. 28, marks the first time that Washington would award U.S. companies the proceeds of anti-dumping fines. The EU and Japan have both been fined by U.S. trade authorities for selling steel at lower prices in the United States than it costs them to produce -- a process known as dumping. South Korea, India and Thailand have paid similar duties in the past.
The anti-dumping law is set to top the agenda at Monday's summit in Washington between Clinton and EU leaders, along with trans-Atlantic trade spats over a multibillion-dollar U.S. tax shelter, bananas, beef and steel.
"It's not an EU-U.S. issue; it's not a Japan-U.S. issue; it's really a systemic issue," said Bert van Barlingen, trade counselor at the European Commission's office in Washington. "There are many WTO members who perceive it as such, and think it's a very bad signal that the U.S. is giving to the rest of the world."
The 15-nation EU and Japan have met with other governments to discuss the possibility of seeking joint talks with the United States on the issue, or at least persuading governments to support them as third parties in the dispute, the people said. South Korea, India and Thailand may join Japan and the EU in fighting the case at the WTO, the people said.
At present, anti-dumping tariffs go to general government revenue, not to U.S. companies alleging harm. The EU and Japan object in particular to paying the fines to U.S. companies.
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