May 22, 2006

Canadian group to appeal against corn duty removal

The Canadian Corn Producers (CCP) the organisation that launched trade action against US corn imports, will appeal the Canadian International Trade Tribunal's (CITT), decision to scrap the duty, an official with the Manitoba Corn Growers Association said Friday (May 19).

The CPP consists of the Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba corn producer groups.

"We intend to file documents asking the Federal Court of Canada to conduct a judicial review of the Apr 19 decision from the CITT," said Theresa Bergsma, with the Manitoba Corn Growers.

Bergsma said there seemed to be enough cause to ask for a judicial review.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) made a preliminary determination on Thursday, Dec 15, that US grain corn imports to Canada were dumped and subsidised.

Under the CBSA's decision, duties totalling US$1.65 per bushel were imposed to prevent further injury to Canadian corn growers. A provisional anti-dumping duty was set at 58 US cents per bushel on unprocessed US corn, while a provisional countervail duty was set at US$1.07 per bushel.

A final determination from the CBSA regarding anti-dumping and countervailing duties on US corn on Mar 15, 2006, left the duty in place but was contingent on the CITT final injury decision Apr 18, which eliminated the duty.