Media Release - Friday 5 December

US Abandon Steel Tariffs - too right !!

It's great news said Trade Liberalisation Network, Executive Director, Suse Reynolds in response to today's announcement that the US is to drop its steel tariffs.

"There was absolutely no justification for the 30% tariff," said Reynolds.

"Not only was there no legal basis for it - the US failed to satisfy the criteria required to impose a "safeguard measure" - but there was no moral basis either.

"The steel tariffs flew in the face of the US's self proclaimed role as the champion of open world markets and starkly demonstrated how trade barriers harm international trade and domestic industry.

"The European Union and Japan were threatening a trade war and US industry relying on competitively priced steel was suffering."

Commenting on the implications for New Zealand, Reynolds said the Bush Administration's decision demonstrated yet again the value of a system of international trade rules to small nations.

"There is no way New Zealand could have achieved this on its own without the WTO dispute settlement procedure," Reynolds concluded.

ENDS

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