EU Members United In Support Of Retaliatory Tariffs

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

12 June 2002

European Union member states gave their wholehearted support to proposed sanctions on US steel products, fruit juices, garments, and gaming equipment, according to recent reports.

Despite the fact that the 15 nation trading bloc has moved the imposition date of the retaliatory tariffs back two weeks to July 3, EU Foreign Ministers were resolute at a meeting on Monday.

'The Council of Ministers is sending a clear political signal. It's a message of EU solidarity,' EU Trade Commissioner, Pascal Lamy told reporters. However, he explained that: 'We're not upping the ante. We're showing firmness.'

Although, according to the EU Business news service, the decision still needs to receive formal approval from the Danish parliament, it is thought that the EU's counter-measures will be submitted to the World Trade Organisation well ahead of the June 18 deadline.

However, his news will doubtless have disappointed the US government, which last week announced a number of new exemptions to the tariffs in an attempt to pacify the European Union.

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