USTR Seeks EC Products for Preliminary Retaliation List
01/30/2008 Selected EC products may ultimately be subject to greatly increased import duties.On January 24, 2008, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published a Federal Register Notice requesting comments on European Communities (EC) products the United States should identify for possible retaliation if the EC continues to fail to comply with a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against its ban on biotech imports. Although the proposed amount of U.S. retaliation (or level of suspension of concessions) remains unspecified, it is likely to be substantial.
Prior to drafting its preliminary retaliation list, USTR is seeking comments from interested individuals, businesses and industries regarding which EC (or Member State) products should be included on the list. Any products included on the retaliation list may ultimately be subject to greatly increased and often prohibitive U.S. duties. Inclusion of a product on the retaliation list may prove extremely beneficial for U.S. industries and businesses facing stiff EC competition.
