Brussels, 02/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - Following a complaint lodged with the WTO in Geneva by the EU in October 2006 (DS 350, see EUROPE 9631), on Wednesday 1 October, the WTO condemned the way the United States calculates anti-dumping margins, a method known as “zeroing”. The panel ruling on the affair concluded that the US had contravened its obligations on certain provisions of the WTO anti-dumping agreement. Washington, then, is called on to comply with the rules of the WTO, the organisation which governs world trade. The European Union has criticised the US for using a method which ignores negative margins of dumping and, therefore, results in an unfair increase of the dumping liability and the fines imposed by Washington. “We welcome the judgment of the panel, and are pleased that the panel has condemned the continued use of zeroing by the US in a large number of measures taken against EU exporters,” said Peter Power, spokesman for Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson. 12 cases against the US for use of the zeroing method have already been referred to the WTO. US authorities “shouldn't be surprised” by the ruling, said Power. The zeroing method has been condemned by the WTO on several occasions following complaints from a number of member countries, with one against the US in 1998. “We now expect the US to comply with the ruling and put an end to all remaining illegal practices of zeroing,” Power stated. (E.H./transl.rt)