Brazil Studies How to Punish US for Anti-dumping Laws

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations released a note stating that the government will “reserve Brazilian rights in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and hold consultations with other relevant government organs to determine the next steps to be taken by the country in that organization.”

The note was prompted by WTO decision, on August 31, authorizing Brazil and seven other trade partners to apply sanctions against the United States for failing to abolish its anti-dumping laws, which had already been judged illegal by the organization.

“Brazil is very pleased with the outcome of this dispute, since it was confirmed that the so-called ‘Byrd Amendment’ violates the Anti-Dumping and Subsidies and Compensatory Measures Accords, and it keeps other WTO members from adopting measures similar to the American ones,” the note informs.

The Byrd Amendment allows fines received by the United States in dumping cases to be passed along to American export firms. The WTO declared the amendment illegal in 2002.

By way of illustration, it should be observed that anti-dumping and compensatory levies on Brazilian exports amounted to US$ 3,057,908.47 in 2002 and US$ 2,086,983.04 (preliminary figure) in 2003.


In previous years these amounts were considerably larger, and the existence of a WTO decision such as the present one helps discourage the use of such instruments.

Retaliatory measures are authorized only as long as the US continues to disregard the decisions of the Dispute Settlement Body.

The other countries that also obtained the right to apply sanctions against the United States are Canada, Chile, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico.

Agência Brasil
Reporters: Lana Cristina and Ana Paula Marra
Translator: David Silberstein

Tags:

You May Also Like

Best-seller Books, Plays and Movies

By Brazzil Magazine Plays, movies & best-seller books PLAYS Rio Anônima (Anonymous) — A ...

Lula and Chavez Tie Economic Knots

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrives today for a state visit to ...

Brazilian Presidential Candidate Serra: a Life of Opposition and Solid Education

Brazilian presidential candidate José Serra was born into a working-class family of Italian immigrants ...

Brazil’s Next Foreign Minister Sees the US’s Star Fading While Brazil’s Importance Grows

As the world moves away from the “traditional governance mechanisms” Brazil has the necessary ...

World Cup: Rio Police Takes Control of Last Favela Around Maracanã in Hands of Drug Lords

The Mangueira favela (slum), with a population of around 20,000, became the latest out-of-control ...

World Bank Loans Brazil US$ 7 Bi for Infrastructure and the Poor

Less large loans for the federal government and more small and medium loans for ...

Brazilian Architect Shows in the US How to Make Slums Home

Brazilian Jorge Mário Jáuregui, an architect and urban designer who has been working in ...

Rugby in Brazil? Don’t Laugh!

Compared to football, rugby is almost non-existent in Brazil. But it isn’t entirely absent. ...

Brazil’s Lu Horta Finalist in International Songwriting Contest

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has announced its 2005 finalists, including  São Paulo’s, Brazil, ...

A Sweet and Nostalgic Trip to 16th Century Brazil and Slavery

Brazilian historian-sociologist- anthropologist Gilberto Freyre (1900-1987) wrote in his book “Assucar” (Sugar), in 1939, ...