British exports facing penalties

14 July 1999

British exports facing penalties

BRITAINS exports, including a range of food products, are facing heavy penalties in the US following a decision by the World Trade Organisation (WT).

It is giving the US permission to impose tariffs on $116million worth of European goods.

The sanctions, about half the level the US had asked for but twice that sought by the Europeans, reflect the damage the trade body thinks has been inflicted by an illegal European Union (EU) ban on North American hormone-treated beef.

It is the second such finding against the EU in recent months. The WTO also gave the US permission to apply $191million of sanctions in the long-running dispute over Europes rules on banana imports, which it found discriminated unfairly against US producers.

• The Daily Telegraph 14/07/99 page 1, page 2