US tariff threat
29/01/2005 - 09:04:54The United States says it intends to raise tariffs on European fruit, vegetables, cheese and spices in retaliation for higher EU tariffs on American brown rice.
The EU is the biggest customer of US rice, accounting for an annual €26m in exports.
Last September, the EU raised tariffs above the rate it had agreed to in the Uruguay Round of trade liberalisation negotiations. Now the US says it is invoking World Trade Organisation rules because the new EU rice import system unfairly limits American rice farmers’ access to European markets.
