WTO Rules Against Byrd Amendment

NEW YORK - Aug 31/04 - SNS -- The Byrd Amendment has been declared illegal by the World Trade Organization, clearing the way for Brazil, Canada, Chile, the European Communities, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico to impose retaliatory duties on U.S. goods.

Under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 28 October 2000, money collected by the U.S. government from anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties was to be paid to the US companies that brought the cases in the first place.

EU Trade Commissioner Lamy welcomed the Appellate Body findings: "The EU and 10 other countries had maintained that this measure clearly flies in the face of the letter and the spirit of WTO law. This was our conviction from the outset and I am glad that the Appellate Body has now clearly and definitively condemned this measure. We now expect the US to act quickly in order to repeal the Byrd amendment."

Subscribers can read the full text of the article by Clicking here