Additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the USA. Codification

The European Parliament adopted by 627 votes to 7, with 20 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the amended proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the United States of America (codification).

Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure without making any amendments to the Commission proposal.

The Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, concluded that the proposal in question contains a straightforward codification of the existing texts without any change in their substance.

The amended proposal stipulates that the tariff concessions and related obligations under GATT 1994 of the Union are suspended in respect of products originating in the United States listed in Annex I to this Regulation.

As a result of the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (CDSOA), the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) granted, on 26 November 2004, the authorisation to suspend the application of such tariff concessions with respect to the United States.

The codified version of Council Regulation (EC) No 673/2005 provides an ad valorem import duty of 4.3% additional on the products originating in the United States listed in Annex I to this Regulation. This duty would be added to the customs duty applicable under Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Customs Code.

The Commission shall adjust the level of suspension annually to the level of nullification or impairment caused by the United States' Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (CDSOA) to the Union at that time. It shall amend the rate of the additional import duty or the list in Annex I while respecting the conditions laid down in the Regulation.