Four complaints were filed last week against the Canada Border Services Agency, alleging it erred when investigating whether imports of corn from the United States are being dumped and subsidized.
The U.S. trade representative’s office and three private companies, including Maple Leaf Foods, filed complaints to the North American Free Trade Agreement secretariat due to the possibility that a tariff might again be imposed on imports of unprocessed corn from the U.S.
A provisional tariff on U.S. corn imports was lifted earlier this year after the Canadian International Trade Tribunal ruled that the imports are not injuring Canada’s corn industry. But Canadian Corn Producers have sought a judicial review of the CITT’s final ruling.
If the corn producers are successful in getting the tribunal to reverse its decision, the duties go back into effect, back to Dec. 15, 2005, said international trade consultant Peter Clark.
The provisional tariff was $1.65 US per bushel.
