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Surveillance of implementation back to top
DS136 & DS162:
United States — Anti-dumping Act of 1916
The US said that legislation
repealing the 1916 Act and terminating all pending cases had been
introduced in the Senate on 19 May 2003. The US also mentioned previous
bills repealing the 1916 Act introduced in the House of Representatives.
The EC urged the US Administration
to convey upon Congress the need to proceed to repeal the 1916 Anti-Dumping Act and terminate pending litigation prior to the
congressional summer recess.
Japan asked the US to report to the
DSB in more details on how the three bills and any future bills would be
handled in Congress.
DS176:
United
States — Section 211 Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1998
The US
informed the DSB that the US and the EC had agreed to extend the
implementation time until 31 December 2003.
The EC explained that it had agreed to give the US more time given the
introduction in Congress in June of a bill that would repeal Section 211.
Cuba
complained about the United States' slowness in implementing the DSB
recommendations and rulings.
DS184:
United
States — Anti-dumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from
Japan
The US said that the US
Administration had expressed its support for specific legislative
amendments that would implement the DSB recommendations and rulings.
Japan said that the US had not
shown any evidence to prove that it meant to support the required
legislation. Japan demanded that the US secured the introduction and
passage of the relevant legislation as early as possible.
DS211:
Egypt — Definitive anti-dumping measures on steel rebar from Turkey
Egypt said that it had submitted
its revised injury and dumping assessment to interested parties. Egypt
added that it would examine Turkey's comments.
Turkey said that it was aware of
Egypt's efforts but that no tangible solution had been found and that the
implementation deadline would end in 10 days (31 July 2003).
Panels established back to top
DS273:
Korea — Measures affecting trade in commercial vessels
The EC requested for the second
time the establishment of a panel to look at Korea's measures affecting
trade in commercial vessels.
Korea commented that it firmly believed that the Korean government had not
provided any support inconsistent with the WTO Subsidies Agreement. Korea
said that the main issue in that case was whether action taken by Korean
financial institutions into which the government was forced to inject
funds due to a financial crisis constituted prohibited or actionable
subsidies.
The DSB established a panel. The following countries requested to be third
parties: Japan, United States, Norway, China, Mexico and Chinese Taipei.
According to Annex V of the Subsidies Agreement, the DSB agreed to
initiate a procedure to gather information on the Korean commercial vessel
subsidies and their adverse effects. Dr. András Szepesi, currently
Chairman of the Textiles Monitoring Body, was chosen by the EC and Korea
to facilitate the information gathering process. The EC designated China
and Japan as “third-country markets”, i.e. countries that should submit
information on potential adverse effects of Korean subsidies to their
commercial vessel industry. The information gathering process must be
completed within 60 days of its launch.
DS285:
United States — Measures affecting the cross-border supply of gambling and
betting services
Antigua and Barbuda requested for the second time the establishment of a
panel. Antigua and Barbuda reiterated its complaint about the US'
prohibition of all cross-border supply of gaming services.
The US repeated that cross-border gambling and betting services were not
within the scope of US specific market access commitments under the GATS.
The DSB established a panel. The following countries requested to be third
parties: EC, Mexico, Canada and Chinese Taipei.
Panel requests back to top
DS270:
Australia —
Certain measures affecting the importation of fresh fruit and vegetables
The Philippines requested a panel
for the first time. The Philippines said that it had repeatedly raised its
concerns with Australia on the latter's sanitary and phytosanitary
measures on fruit but to no avail. The two countries held consultations
mid-November 2002 but these failed to solved the dispute, the Philippines
added.
Australia argued that its
quarantine system was fully WTO consistent and said that it could not
agree to the establishment of a panel at this meeting.
The Philippines' request was thus
blocked.
DS265, DS266 & DS283:
European Communities — Export
subsidies on sugar
Australia, Brazil and Thailand
together requested the establishment of a panel to examine the EC's
subsidy sugar regime. The three countries argued that EC's direct and
indirect subsidies on the export of its sugar were not consistent with the
EC's WTO export subsidy obligations contracted during the Uruguay Round.
The European Communities blocked
this first request saying that it was totally convinced of the WTO
consistency of its sugar regime. The EC added that EC exports had remained
stable for many years and could therefore not be blamed for low prices on
world sugar market.
Mauritius, on behalf of several
African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, made a lengthy statement on the
importance of EC sugar preferences for ACP states.
Adoption of
panel report back to top
DS243:
United
States — Rules of origin for textiles and apparel products
The United States welcomed the
panel's findings that the US rules of origin at issue in the dispute were
not inconsistent with the US WTO obligations.
India, China and the Philippines
expressed their disappointment with the panel's rulings.
The DBS adopted the panel report.
Appointment of Appellate Body Members back to top
The term of office of four of the
Appellate Body Members is expiring. The DSB decided on appropriate
procedures to fill the four posts.
Upcoming
meetings back to top
The next meeting of the DSB will
take place on 29 August 2003.
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