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WTO clears U.S. sanctions
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July 12, 1999: 8:34 a.m. ET
European beef ban leads to $116M charge; EU sees compensation deal
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LONDON (CNNfn) - The World Trade Organization (WTO) Monday cleared the way for the United States to impose $116 million in damages against European Union exports in retaliation for the EU's continuing ban on some U.S. beef exports, according to EU officials.
U.S. trade officials had sought WTO permission for $202 million in annual sanctions against a range of EU exports after the Brussels-based union failed to lift its decade-old ban on hormone-treated U.S. beef..
The global trade body, which remains without a leader, also authorized $11 million of sanctions by Canada against the EU for its ban on Canadian beef, a fifth of what Canada had sought.
European officials provided an upbeat assessment of the ruling by a WTO scientific panel and said it could open the way for sanctions to be replaced by compensation. The WTO could not be reached for comment.
Outgoing EU trade commissioner Leon Brittan has repeatedly questioned the level of damages which U.S. officials claim the beef ban has caused and lobbied for damages to replace sanctions across a range of goods.
U.S. trade officials could not be reached for comment.
The beef sanctions come on top of the $200 million in tariffs imposed by the United States against EU imports and approved by the WTO in May after the EU failed to lift restrictions on banana imports from U.S. firms in Latin America.
Separately, Thai officials said they expected the WTO's governing council to approve a job share plan for the trade body's leadership, paving the way for the two candidates for the WTO director-general post to take turns in the post.
"We expect the WTO will be able to find a solution on term sharing by July 20," Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan told Reuters.
Thai deputy premier Supachai Panitchpakdi and former New Zealand premier Mike Moore have fought for the top spot and refused to stand down when WTO leaders failed to reach their traditional consensus on the appointment.
Supachai said last week that he would be prepared to let Moore take office first.
-- from staff and wire reports
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