EU Threatens WTO Action over U.S. Beef Hormone Sanctions

BRUSSELS — The European Commission said Thursday it planned to take WTO action against a U.S. decision to impose new tariffs on EU products covered by sanctions in a beef hormone row.

"It is clear that this move by the US administration means that we will have no choice but to start preparations in order to take this to the World Trade Organization," the commission said in a statement.

"A great deal of effort had been put into finding a mutually agreed settlement to this on-going dispute. This task has now become much more difficult," it added.

Washington imposed new tariffs on European products in retaliation for an EU ban on U.S. hormone-treated beef, escalating a longstanding trade dispute.

U.S. penalties tripled in one case, on French-produced Roquefort cheese. The US updated its list of punitive duties, adding some products while deleting others.

"We had already been taxed at 100 percent for nine years," said Robert Glandieres of the French association of roquefort producers.

"Now, with 300 percent, sales of roquefort to the United States will be finished."

Veteran ecological activist Jose Bove also denounced the U.S. move against roquefort as "perfectly scandalous."

"The United States is hoping that producers will put pressure on Europe in order to protect their (U.S.) market.

"The issue is clear — at no time will producers put pressure on Europe to open its borders to hormone-treated beef."

Source: Agence-France Presse