Beginning Oct. 1, 2007, steel and other U.S. manufacturers will no longer receive anti-dumping and countervailing duties levied on imported goods.
Congress has repealed the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000, popularly known as the Byrd amendment, after its chief Senate sponsor, Robert Byrd (D, W.Va.).
Under the legislation, duties were distributed to producers who successfully petitioned the U.S. government for relief from foreign countries illegally subsidizing goods exported to the U.S. or selling them at less than fair value.
Eleven members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) challenged the legality of the amendment under WTO rules, and, in January 2003, the WTO allowed eight members to retaliate against the U.S. Of the eight, four -- Canada, the EU, Japan and Mexico -- have done so, according to the U.S. Trade Representatives office.
With repeal of the amendment, anti-dumping and countervailing duties will go to the U.S. Treasury Department, as they had before the Byrd Amendment was enacted.
