Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 5 • Number 8 • 29th April 2005

EU Drops Salmon Safeguards but Imposes New Duties on Norway

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The EU on 22 April revoked the safeguard measures they imposed in February this year against imports of farmed salmon from Chile, Norway and the Faroe Islands (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 18 February 2005). The decision came four days after Chile had asked the WTO to establish an arbitration panel, following a failure of the two parties to resolve the issue during the two-month consultation period. However, on 22 April the EU also announced that it was imposing temporary anti-dumping duties of 16 percent on average on imports of salmon from Norway. The duties range from 6.8 to 24.5 percent and will go into effect on 27 April for last six months. During that time EU officials will fully investigate the anti-dumping allegations which, if they prove the salmon has been dumped on the EU market, could lead to an extension of the duties for as long as five years. Norwegian authorities have rejected accusations that its fish industry competes unfairly and has said that they would take up the issue at the WTO. It remains unclear whether Chile and Norway will continue to pursue their pre-existing cases at the WTO.

The EU on 4 February had put in place safeguard measures allowing only 10 percent of imports to enter the trading block at unrestricted prices and imposing a minimum price on all other salmon imports from the three countries. Chile and Norway both launched WTO challenges to the measures, submitting official requests for WTO consultations on 14 February and 3 March respectively. On 6 April, Norway notified the WTO that pursuant to Article 8.2 of the Agreement on Safeguards — which allows for the suspension of concessions in reaction to safeguard measures — it was increasing tariffs to as much as 100 percent on a number of fish and food products imported from the EU into Norway in retribution for the EU safeguard measures

The EU regulations can be accessed here.

“Chile: EU Will Lift Salmon Restrictions,” REUTERS, 23 April 2005; “EU to apply duty on Norway’s salmon,” FINANCIAL TIMES, 25 April 2005; “EU innfører midlertidige antidumpingtiltak,” NORWEIGAN GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE, 22 April 2005