WTO authorises EU sanctions against US for anti-dumping law
AFP, Geneva
The World Trade Organisation on Tuesday authorised the European Union and seven countries to slap millions of dollars' worth of sanctions against the United States in retaliation for a US anti-dumping law. The WTO, after seven months of arbitration, announced that the eight trading powers could levy sanctions amounting to 72 percent of the sums reaped from the offending legislation. The EU and the seven countries -- Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Japan, Mexico and South Korea -- had complained to the world trade body because Washington had not repealed the legislation -- which the WTO had condemned as incompatible with its rules -- before the deadline of December 27, 2003. The legislation, known as the Byrd amendment after its sponsor Senator Robert Byrd, was approved in October 2000. Under the law, the US government distributes the anti-dumping and anti-subsidies duties to the US companies that allege dumping, or the selling abroad at less than the market price in the domestic market.
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