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Dispute Settlement Body 10 September 2001
DSB establishes 4 panels to examine complaints against US

At its meeting on 10 September 2001, the DSB established 4 panels (Case DS212, Case DS213, Case DS214, and Case DS234).These requests had been considered for the first time at the last DSB meeting on 23 August 2001.

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NOTE:
This summary has been prepared by the WTO Secretariat’s Information and Media Relations Division to help public understanding about developments in WTO disputes. It is not a legal interpretation of the issues, and it is not intended as a complete account of the issues. These can be found in the reports themselves and in the minutes of the Dispute Settlement Body’s meetings.

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Case DS212: United States — Countervailing measures concerning certain products from the EC Quick help for downloading

Case DS213: United States — Countervailing duties on certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Germany Quick help for downloading

Case DS214: United States — Definitive safeguard measures on imports of steel wire rod and circular welded quality line pipe Quick help for downloading

At the second-time request by the EC, the DSB established panels to examine the above cases, all of which involve US measures on steel imports. Case DS212 involves 12 countervailing duty orders by the US on steel products from various EU member states. India and Mexico reserved their 3rd party rights. Case DS213 concerns the US “sunset” review to determine whether or not a countervailing duty measure should expire. EC alleges that the US is maintaining such measures where subsidization was at under de minimis levels in sunset reviews and no evidence was produced to show that it would rise above these levels. Japan reserved its 3rd party rights. Case DS214 concerns 2 US safeguard measures which the EC maintains are inconsistent with the Safeguards Agreement and GATT 1994. Canada, Japan and Mexico reserved their 3rd party rights.

  
Case DS234: United States — Continued dumping and subsidy offset Act of 2000 (Byrd Amendment) Quick help for downloading

At the second-time request by Canada and Mexico, the DSB established a panel and agreed that the panel established at the last DSB meeting on 23 August 2001 to examine case DS217 would also examine Canada's and Mexico's complaint. Both these cases concern the US' redistribution of anti-dumping and countervailing duties to domestic producers. A total of 11 complainants are, therefore, involved in this single panel: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, EC, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Thailand.

  
  
Implementation of the recommendations of the DSB Back to top

Case DS184: United States — Anti-dumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from Japan Quick help for downloading

The US informed the DSB that it intended to implement the findings in this case and that it was evaluating the options for doing so but that it would need a reasonable period of time to implement. Japan welcomed the US statement and said that it was ready to consult with the US on the implementation period.

  
  
Other business Back to top

Under “Other Business”, the US briefly announced that, by 1 September 2001, it had implemented the rulings in case DS179: (United States — Anti-dumping measures on stainless steel plate in coils and stainless steel sheet and strip from Korea). Korea thanked the US for implementing in a “prompt manner”.

The next regular meeting of the DSB is due to be held on 25 September 2001.

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