Food imports from the United States are to bear the brunt of retaliatory tariffs imposed by the European Union because of the erection of controversial ‘safeguard’ duties by Washington to protect the US steel industry.
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The European Commission has announced that it is asking EU ministers to approve a selected range of products, where the levying of duty will cause the most pain to US exporters, in a bid to force the Bush administration to drop its steel tariffs.
These EU duties will be high (100%), and will come into force on 18 June, unless they are rejected by ministers in Brussels or the US capitulates, neither of which are likely.
Products that would attract the duties include citrus fruit, (fresh or dried), fresh apples, pears and quinces and types of rice. Additional lower duties would be imposed on a much larger range of products if or when, (as expected), the EU wins a case at the World Trade Organisation against the US duties.
These include 13% on dried and shelled leguminous vegetables, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangoes and mangosteens; 15% on some nuts, (fresh or dried), fresh apricots, cherries, peaches (including nectarines), plums and sloes, as well as fruit and vegetable juices.
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By GlobalDataThe EU would here simultaneously reduce the duty on citrus fruit, apples, pears and quinces to 15% and rice to 8%, albeit extending this duty to more rice lines.
By Keith Nuthall, just-food.com correspondent
