South American country hits back over EU biodiesel duties

Argentina has hit back over the imposed ‘anti-dumping’ duties by the European Union by filing a complaint to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The country’s foreign ministry is claiming the duties on biofuels imports, currently set around an additional 25%, are ‘purely protectionist’ and will harm its biodiesel industry.

The WTO has 60 days to try and find a mutually agreeable solution between the two warring parties before Argentina could then request a panel of experts be established to look at the issue.

‘The EU is open to Argentine exports, but we should not stay idle and tolerate structural raw material distortions,’ EU trade spokesman John Clancy said last month. ‘We're glad the council adopted the commission proposal, which is based on an objective investigation in line with WTO law. Now we can be reassured that our green-energy sector is not under threat and will continue developing to the benefit of all Europeans.’