AFX European Focus | March 16, 2004
The United States filed a complaint Tuesday in the World Trade Organization against Mexico over its tax on drink sweeteners. "Mexico's beverage taxes are discriminatory and protectionist. We attempted to settle this dispute through negotiations," Zoellick said of the nation's 20 percent tax on beverage sweeteners that do not use cane sugar. "Unfortunately, the negotiations did not resolve the matter, so now it is time to enforce our rights in the WTO," Zoellick said. The move is aimed at helping U.S. producers of high fructose corn syrup, whose exports to Mexico have declined since Mexico began implementing the tax two years ago. This story was supplied by CBSMarketWatch.AFX European Focus:
