Reuters | June 16, 2003
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it has begun legal action to overturn anti-dumping duties imposed by Mexico on imports of hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. beef and rice.
"It is unfortunate that we could not resolve these matters bilaterally," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Veneman said in a statement decrying the duties imposed by Mexico as a violation of World Trade Organization rules.
Filing a case at the WTO begins a required 60-day consultation period before a dispute settlement panel can be created to look at the dispute.
Agricultural trade tensions between the United States and Mexico have intensified this year, as most remaining tariffs under the North American Free Trade Agreement were lifted.
"By filing a WTO case today, we are working to ensure that Mexico doesn't use foreign trade remedy laws as unfair barriers to U.S. products," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said. "American ranchers and rice farmers expect to have fair market access for their products in Mexico."
The United States exported $829 million of beef products and $103 million of rice to Mexico in 2002.
In its complaint, Washington accused Mexico of violating various WTO rules and procedures, as well as its own laws, in calculating and imposing the duties.
"We have been patient and now must ensure that the trade agreements are fully enforced," Veneman said. "Our farmers expect that 'a deal is a deal' and must be lived up to."Reuters:
