WASHINGTON, April 30, 2013 - The Obama Administration should consider a World Trade Organization (WTO) challenge to the European Union’s “unprecedented” anti-dumping duty recently imposed on U.S. ethanol producers, according to a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators.
Fourteen Democratic and Republican Senators sent a letter to the Acting United States Trade Representative (USTR), Demetrios Manatos and Acting Secretary of Commerce, Rebecca Blank, calling on them to review and consider such a challenge.
The letter was co-authored by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and cosponsored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Al Franken (D-MN), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tim Johnson (D-SD), John Hoeven (R-ND), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Roy Blunt (R-MO).
Commenting on the rare bipartisan agreement generated by this anti-dumping duty, Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, and Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, issued the following joint statement:
“We are pleased to see that members of the United States Senate have taken action against this outrageous claim by the European Union and have asked the USTR to further investigate the matter.
“The EU Commission failed to make any particular finding of dumping by any producer or marketer investigated in connection with the case. If allowed to stand, this rule would set a dangerous precedent for trade and trade remedies in advance of important trade talks between the U.S. and the EU, and furthermore will dramatically change the boundaries and limits of international anti-dumping law.”
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