RFA, Growth Energy condemn Euro duties on US ethanol

In Washington, In reaction to the European Commission’s recent proposal to impose duties on ethanol imported from the United States, Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) released the following joint statement: “America’s producers and marketers of ethanol are outraged by the news that the European Commission has proposed to the European Council an anti-dumping duty equivalent to 62.3 Euro per tonne on all ethanol produced in the United States, regardless of who produces the product or who sells it.  This decision is unprecedented. Not only does it fly in the face of over 30 years of consistent practice by the EC, but it also violates numerous provisions of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Antidumping.

“This proposal is legally vulnerable on numerous grounds,” said Bob Dinneen, President of the Renewable Fuels Association. “They selected six producers for investigation and none were found to be dumping; nonetheless, duties are being imposed.  In addition, all those producers not selected for review are also being penalized, again with no dumping having been found.” Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, said, “we are exploring every option to overturn this decision.  Our producers and trading companies cooperated fully with the Commission’s requests for information.  In the end, it was all ignored in favor of what can only be described as a political decision to erect an artificial trade barrier.”