WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2208/96 by Salvatore TATARELLA to the Commission. Special US taxes on imported Italian pasta
Date: 1996-08-09
Institutions: European Parliament, TATARELLA
Subjects: Italy, United States, World Trade Organisation, anti-dumping duty, customs duties, import, pasta, protectionism













EUR-Lex - 91996E2208 - EN






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91996E2208

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2208/96 by Salvatore TATARELLA to the Commission. Special US taxes on imported Italian pasta  


Official Journal C 060 , 26/02/1997 P. 0135 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2208/96 by Susan Waddington (PSE) to the Commission (9 August 1996)Subject: Special US taxes on imported Italian pastaThe US International Trade Commission has imposed duties ranging from 2.8% to 46.6% on two thirds of the Italian pasta imported into the United States.In 1995, Italian exports to the United States covered between 10% and 15% of the latter country's pasta requirements, i.e. 161 000 tonnes worth $147 m in all, making Italy the biggest foreign supplier to the US.US pasta consumption is growing by 5% a year.The American decision amounts in practice to a protectionist measure that benefits US multinationals and adversely affects the Italian industry.What political, economic, and legal steps will the Commission take forthwith in order to safeguard Italian and Community interests?Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission (9 October 1996)In July 1996, in the context of parallel anti-dumping and countervailing investigations, the United States trade authorities decided that imports of pasta from Italy had been dumped and subsidized and had caused material injury to American industry. Anti-dumping and countervailing duties were consequently imposed.As the Commission monitors all anti-dumping and countervailing investigations initiated by third countries against exports of products from the Member States, it followed the pasta investigations very closely. With regard to the countervailing investigation in particular, the Commission was actively involved in conjunction with Italy in replying to questionnaires from the United States authorities and in arguing against the imposition of measures in several consultation meetings held in accordance with the provisions of the World trade organisation (WTO) subsidies agreement. Some of these arguments have been accepted, and this has resulted in the imposition of lower duties than could have been the case otherwise. With regard to the anti-dumping investigation, the Commission's main role is to examine the third country's procedures in the light of the relevant multilateral agreements within the context of the WTO. In fact, the existence or not of dumping is an issue which concerns the behaviour and pricing policies of each Community exporter individually, and the Commission would not therefore normally be involved in assessing the situation of such individual producers except in the context of a breach of the WTO rules.The Commission is currently assessing the United States decisions to impose measures on Italian pasta. While the imposition of duties as a result of anti-dumping or anti-subsidy actions is, in itself, legitimate, this has to be done in accordance with international rules, laid down in the WTO agreements. If the Commission considers that the above agreements have not been respected it will act to remedy any violation in consultation with Member States on possible actions. In the meantime, the Commission intends to have further consultations with the United States government to clarify certain aspects of these measures.