OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Executive Office of the President
Washington, D.C. 20508
USTR Press Releases are available on the USTR website at www.ustr.gov

Statement of Richard Mills
USTR Spokesman
November 10, 2004

Regarding requests for WTO authorization to retaliate against the United States on the Byrd Amendment

"This does not affect the ability of the United States to continue
enforcing its trade laws to impose duties on countries that sell
unfairly dumped or subsidized products in the U.S. market. The Byrd
Amendment simply deals with how the funds collected from such duties are
disbursed by the Treasury.

"We have already notified the WTO that we intend to comply. We are
currently working with Congress to bring the United States into
compliance, and we will continue to consult with our trading partners on
these efforts. Complex issues like these often take time, for example
the EU has needed over three years to come into compliance with a
separate dispute on bananas. I would also note that the WTO arbitrators
determined that what the complainants could seek was more than 40% below
what they had asserted were damages."