Brussels, 22/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Union will suspend, as of next Wednesday, its tariff quotas on maize gluten imported from the United States, in response to the American tariff restrictions against European wheat gluten, formally condemned by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 19 January. A Community regulation, already ready for some time, will automatically enter into force at the end of the five day grace period that follows this kind of decision by Geneva. Unless the American quotas are dismantled by then - which seems unlikely, the animal feed based from maize gluten imported from the United States will be hit by a customs duty of EUR 5 per tonne in the framework of the tariff quotas of 2.7 million tonnes corresponding to the level of European export losses due to the American restrictions (see EUROPE of 13 January, p.7). The WTO rules will in fact enable a members whose exports are affected by a safeguard measure, to auto-compensate themselves by carrying out a suspension of substantial quotas equivalent to its losses. It may exercise this right in the three years following the introduction of restrictions, or even earlier, if there prove to be incompatible with international trade rules. This "re-balancing of quotas" to which the Union is preparing to undertake will be stopped as soon as the United States will have renounced their safeguard measures. Nevertheless, the American industry has already asked for it to be postponed by two years,. A request that must be examined at the end f next month by the competent instances in the united States. If need be, another Community regulation is ready to take over next 1 June, date on which the provision (presented in the Official Journal L2) will expire.