BYRD AMENDMENT: CANADA PURSUES AUTHORITY TO RETALIATE press release, Government of Canada
The Government of Canada and seven other World Trade Organization (WTO) members today submitted requests to the WTO to be granted retaliatory authorization in light of U.S. inaction in repealing the Byrd Amendment. The other WTO members are Brazil, Chile, the European Union, India, Japan, Mexico and South Korea.
"The WTO has ruled that the Byrd Amendment does not conform with international trading obligations," said International Trade Minister Jim Peterson. "It is our view that it effectively provides a distorting double advantage to U.S. industry and, if left in place, could lead to billions of dollars in Canadian-paid duties being handed over to U.S. companies. I call upon the U.S. to preserve the integrity of the global trading system by moving expeditiously to repeal the Byrd Amendment."