Council Regulation (EC) No 673/2005 of 25 April 2005 establishing additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the United States of America

30.4.2005 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 110/1
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 673/2005
of 25 April 2005
establishing additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the United States of America
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1) On 27 January 2003, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) adopted the Appellate Body report (1) and the Panel report (2), as upheld by the Appellate Body report, finding that the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (CDSOA) was incompatible with the United States' obligations under the WTO agreements.
(2) Since the United States failed to bring its legislation in conformity with the covered agreements, the Community requested to the DSB the authorisation to suspend the application of its tariff concessions and related obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 to the United States (3). The United States objected to the level of suspension of tariff concessions and related obligations and the matter was referred to arbitration.
(3) On 31 August 2004, the Arbitrator determined that the level of nullification or impairment caused every year to the Community was equal to 72 % of the amount of CDSOA disbursements relating to anti-dumping or countervailing duties paid on imports from the Community for the most recent year for which data are available at that time, as published by the United States' authorities. The Arbitrator concluded that the suspension by the Community of concessions or other obligations, in the form of the imposition of an additional import duty above bound custom duties, on a list of products originating in the United States covering, on a yearly basis, a total value of trade not exceeding the amount of nullification or impairment would be consistent with WTO rules. On 26 November 2004, the DSB granted the authorisation to suspend the application to the United States of tariff concessions and related obligations under GATT 1994 in accordance with the decision of the Arbitrator.
(4) The CDSOA disbursements for the most recent year for which data are available relate to the distribution of anti-dumping and countervailing duties collected during the Fiscal Year 2004 (1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004). On the basis of the data published by the United States' Customs and Border Protection, the level of nullification or impairment caused to the Community is calculated at USD 27,81 million. The Community may, therefore, suspend the application of its tariff concessions to the United States at an equivalent amount. The effect of a 15 % ad valorem additional import duty on imports of the products in Annex I originating in the United States represents, over one year, a value of trade that does not exceed USD 27,81 million. In respect of these products, the Community should suspend the application of its tariff concessions to the United States from 1 May 2005.
(5) If the non-implementation of the DSB ruling and recommendation persists, the Commission should adjust annually the level of suspension to the level of nullification or impairment caused by the CDSOA to the Community at that time. The Commission should amend the list in Annex I or the rate of the additional import duty so that the effect of the additional duty on imports from the United States of the selected products represents, over one year, a value of trade that does not exceed the amount of nullification or impairment.
(6) The Commission should respect the following criteria:
(a) The Commission should amend the rate of the additional import duty when adding or removing products from the list in Annex I does not allow to adjust the level of suspension to the level of nullification or impairment. Otherwise, the Commission should add products to the list in Annex I if the level of suspension increases or withdraw products from this list if the level of suspension decreases.
(b) If products are added, the Commission should select the products from the list in Annex II in an automatic fashion by following the order in which the products are listed. As a consequence, the Commission should also amend the list in Annex II by removing from it the products added to the list in Annex I.
(c) If products are withdrawn, the Commission should, first, remove products that were added to the list in Annex I at a later stage. The Commission should then remove products presently in the list in Annex I by following the order of that list.
(7) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (4).
(8) To avoid circumvention of the additional duty, this Regulation should enter into force on the day of its publication,