Agence France Presse | Nov. 28, 2003
GENEVA (AFP) - The European Union and seven other countries have agreed to delay the adoption of a WTO ruling against US steel tariffs, in a possible sign that Washington is preparing to drop the measures and avoid retaliatory sanctions, officials indicated.
World Trade Organisation (WTO) members will now adopt the decision, which states that Washington's safeguards on selected steel imports flout international rules and should be amended, on December 10 -- nine days later than initially planned, confirmed a WTO spokesperson.
"All nine parties in the dispute have agreed to (this)," he said.
An EU trade official said the United States had asked the eight parties that complained about the US tariffs to the WTO last year -- the EU, Brazil, China, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and Switzerland -- to postpone the formal adoption.
"If the additional delay will allow the United States to totally abolish their protectionist measures -- thus stopping the EU and the other countries from implementing retaliatory sanctions -- that would be preferable for everybody," said the official.
In June 2002, Brussels warned it would automatically slap tariffs worth 2.2 billion dollars (1.9 billion euros) on a range of US imports five days after the formal adoption of the WTO decision.
Earlier this month the WTO's highest tribunal ruled against the US tariffs, which President George W Bush imposed in 2002.
Bush said temporary duties of up to 30 percent were needed to protect ailing steel mills as they restructured.Agence France Presse:
