Fourteen Democratic and Republican senators have joined together to sign a letter to the Acting United States Trade Representative (USTR), Demetrios Manatos and Acting Secretary of Commerce, Rebecca Blank, calling on them to review and consider a World Trade Organization (WTO) challenge to the European Union’s anti-dumping duty recently imposed on U.S. ethanol producers.
The letter was co-authored by Sens. John Thune (R., S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.), and cosponsored by Sens. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), Al Franken (D., Minn.), Mike Johanns (R., Neb.), Heidi Heitkamp (D, N.D.), Deb Fischer (R, Neb.), Tim Johnson (S., S.D.), John Hoeven (R., N.D.), Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.), Pat Roberts (R., Kan.), Richard Durbin (D., Ill.) and Roy Blunt (R, Mo.).
“The EU Commission failed to make any particular finding of dumping by any producer or marketer investigated in connection with the case. If allowed to stand, this rule would set a dangerous precedent for trade and trade remedies in advance of important trade talks between the U.S. and the EU, and furthermore will dramatically change the boundaries and limits of international anti-dumping law," Bob Dinneen, President and chief executive officer of the Renewable Fuels Assn., and Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, said in a joint statement.