WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Committee to Support U.S. Trade Laws ("CSUSTL") voices its strong objection to the February 4 decision by the World Trade Organization ("WTO") Appellate Body on zeroing. Despite the absence of any negotiated ban of "zeroing" by the WTO's Member States, the WTO's Appellate Body once again has insisted that the "zeroing" of negative dumping carried out by the U.S. Commerce Department is not permitted by the relevant provisions of the WTO's agreements in more than two dozen antidumping proceedings -- mainly involving imports of EU steel products.

As Joe Mayer, Chairman of CSUSTL, noted, "The overreaching problem of the Appellate Body on this and other issues has been recognized by Congress as long ago as the 2002 Trade Act. Congress has indicated the need for U.S. rights to be maintained through the ongoing negotiations, and the U.S. has indicated to its trading partners that the Doha negotiations must address this serious problem particularly on the issue of "zeroing". We applaud Congress's long support to ensure U.S. trade remedy laws remain effective against the unfair trade practices they address and we will be working with the new Congress and the new Administration to see that the problem of WTO AB activism is addressed in the negotiations and not through any change to existing U.S. law or practice."

Implementation of the series of adverse WTO decisions on "zeroing" unfairly forces the U.S. government, but not other WTO Members, to collect far less than 100 percent of the antidumping duties owed on dumped imports. The United States has repeatedly and vigorously defended its longstanding antidumping methodology before the WTO and has made great efforts to provide a critical analysis of flawed Appellate Body reports in a series of special communications to the Dispute Settlement Body. In the Doha negotiations, the United States has also actively pursued clarification of the Antidumping Agreement that would explicitly acknowledge that the U.S. methodology is permissible.

CSUSTL members support Congress' opposition to the WTO decisions. "The Appellate Body does its own integrity and effectiveness and that of the WTO a serious disservice by legislating new rights and obligations for the Member States in the guise of interpreting rights and obligations that historically were not negotiated and were not agreed to previously," said Mayer. "Such behavior by the Appellate Body is not acceptable and should be checked."

About the Committee to Support U.S. Trade Laws

CSUSTL is an organization of companies, trade associations, labor unions, workers, and individuals committed to preserving and enhancing U.S. trade laws. Its membership spans all sectors including manufacturing, technology, agriculture, mining and energy, and services. It is committed to ensuring the unfair trade laws are not weakened through legislation or policy decisions in Washington, in international negotiations, or through dispute settlement processes at the WTO and elsewhere.