Imports - Eurofer
Imports - Eurofer
Imports - Eurofer
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24<br />
E U R O F E R 2 0 0 0<br />
The steel industry was disappointed that in the cases presented in 1998-99 for hot rolled coil<br />
and quarto-plate the Commission saw fit to accept price undertakings from several of the countries<br />
involved. EUROFER has concerns regarding the effectiveness of price undertakings<br />
and – together with all other sectors in UNICE – has insisted that the<br />
Commission do more to manage correctly the undertakings which it accepts.<br />
EUROFER has made known to the Commission its view that:<br />
price undertakings should only be accepted as an exception;<br />
the Commission must devote more resources to policing such undertakings;<br />
the Commission should be more proactive in investigating breaches.<br />
In parallel, EUROFER is working with its partners in UNICE to highlight the need for<br />
harmonised implementation of the WTO Agreement on anti-dumping by all<br />
countries. EUROFER believes this should form part of the agenda of the new Round which<br />
may be launched in November 2001.<br />
It is noteworthy, in this respect, that 11 out of 13 trade disputes submitted by the EU to the WTO<br />
dispute settlement proceedings, involve conflicts with the US. Further, 7 of the US cases concern<br />
the US misuse of trade defence instruments, and 5 of them relate to the steel sector. Indeed:<br />
The EU, together with 8 other WTO Members, has requested formal WTO consultations<br />
with the US on the so-called “Byrd amendment”. The “Byrd amendment” provides that<br />
anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) shall be paid to the US companies<br />
responsible for bringing the corresponding trade cases. This is clearly incompatible with<br />
various WTO provisions and amounts to subsidies to the US companies involved.<br />
The EU requested WTO consultations concerning the safeguard measures on wire rod and<br />
welded line pipe introduced by the US on 1 March 2000. The EU contends that both measures,<br />
as well as certain provisions of the US safeguard legislation, violate several substantive<br />
requirements of the WTO Safeguard Agreement. Further, the safeguard measures on wire<br />
rod imports have had a clear discriminatory effect against European exports. Finally, it is of<br />
great concern that recourse to safeguard measures, that should only take place in exceptional<br />
circumstances, could become an alternative to anti-dumping cases.