Dumping Trade

The World Trade Organization on Tuesday ruled that the U.S. had applied unfair anti-dumping duties on a number of goods, overturning an earlier decision that its tariff rates on some carbon steel products and ball bearings were in line with international trade rules. The decision was a victory for Japan, which challenged the U.S. over the way it sets dumping fees.

Trade tensions flared between the U.S. and China on Friday, as each brought disputes against the other at the World Trade Organization. China requested consultations with the U.S. -- the first stage in launching a WTO dispute -- over Washington's anti-dumping measures on paper imports from China, the WTO said.

Destined for American kitchens, planks of birch and poplar plywood are stacked to the ceiling of a cavernous port warehouse. The wood, which arrived in California via a cargo ship, carries two labels: One proclaims "Made in China," while the other warns that it contains formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical. Because formaldehyde wafts off the glues in this plywood, it is illegal to sell in many countries -- even the one where it originated, China.

Although chemical bans overseas have prompted some manufacturers to reformulate all their products worldwide, many toys and cosmetics are exceptions. Europe banned or restricted six phthalate compounds in toys. In beauty products, Europe has eliminated 900 compounds, including two phthalates, suspected of causing reproductive disorders, cancer or genetic mutations. The U.S.

Lemon juice from Argentina and Mexico is being sold in the United States at unfair prices, causing U.S. producers to lose market share and cut payrolls, the country's largest marketing cooperative said Tuesday. Sherman Oaks-based Sunkist Growers, which is owned by 6,000 members who account for the majority of U.S.

Cutting costs has become a way of life at Aggressive Engineering Corp., a Southern California metal stamping company. Over the last decade, President Dan Bridges has slashed his workforce from 52 to 25, capped wages and retooled the assembly line to increase its output of metal parts. But Bridges said he might have to close his doors if the U.S. government doesn't lift the duties imposed in 1993 on foreign firms accused of dumping cheap steel in the U.S. market.

The European Union said Thursday that it would impose sanctions on U.S. products to punish Washington for failing to repeal an anti-dumping law ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization. The EU head office said it would be joined soon by seven other nations that had requested the WTO to authorize retaliation. The EU's move would slap additional duties of as much as 15% as of May 1 on such U.S. products as paper, textiles, machinery and farm produce.

The European Union is expected to impose anti-dumping duties today of as much as 66% on imports from China of magnesia bricks used by steelmakers such as London-based Corus Group. The tariffs target Chinese exporters that accounted last year for about 15% of the European market for the product, used as a lining of the vessels in which steel is melted. The levies, which will last for six months and may be prolonged for five years, were announced Tuesday in the EU Official Journal.

Asian shrimp exporters Thursday said a U.S. anti-dumping lawsuit is an example of blatant protectionism, and vowed to fight to keep overseas shrimp on American dinner plates. The U.S. Southern Shrimp Alliance filed the suit Wednesday with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission against Thailand, China, Vietnam, India, Brazil and Ecuador. The alliance, an eight-state group of shrimpers and processors, claims those countries have dumped shrimp on the U.S.

The U.S. International Trade Commission said Tuesday that cheap imported shrimp is harming U.S. fishermen and recommended the federal government consider anti-dumping levies. After reviewing thousands of pages of briefs and hearing testimony from fishermen and processors along the Gulf Coast and Southeastern seaboard, the ITC issued a 6-0 ruling that there was "a reasonable indication" that low-priced competition had harmed the domestic industry.