EU slaps tariffs on U.S. biodiesel

BRUSSELS, March 12 -- The European Union (EU) decided to impose

anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on imports of biodiesel from the United

States, the bloc said on Thursday in its Official Journal.

U.S. exporters of biodiesel to the EU must pay additional anti-dumping

duties of up to 29 percent, and anti-subsidy duties of between 29-41 percent for

an initial six months. The measure will start from Friday.

If the European Commission, the executive body of the EU responsible for

trade policy of the union, decides within the following six months to impose a

definitive duties for at least five years, the measure must be approved by trade

ministers of member states.

As EU's biggest importing partner, the United States imported more than 1.5

million tons of goods in 2008, while in 2005, the import volume was 7,000 tons.

"The level of the measures, which are applied together, is set at between

270 and 303 U.S. dollars per ton for the anti-subsidy duties and up to 266

dollars per ton for the anti-dumping measures," the Commission said in a

statement.

The Commission lodged a probe into imports of U.S. biodiesel last year

after receiving a complaint from EU producers of biodiesel, saying that they

were affected by U.S. subsidies.