Argentina is not sitting still for what it terms as “illegal tariffs” against its biodiesel going to the European Union. This story from the Wall Street Journal says, for the third time, the South American country has complained to the World Trade Organization about the EU’s block on the imported biodiesel.
Last month, the EU slapped steep import taxes on Argentine biofuel ranging from 217 to 246 euros ($298-$336) per metric ton, “having the direct and immediate effect of closing the European market to Argentine biodiesel and affecting exports worth over $1.5 billion per year,” the country’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.
A spokesman for the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The first step in the dispute resolution process is a request for consultations, in which the parties involved have 60 days to try to reach an agreement, the WTO said about the latest Argentine complaint. If no agreement is reached, Argentina can then request a WTO panel be convened to settle the dispute.
EU biofuels makers say Argentina unfairly dumps its biodiesel on the European market.
Argentina is also trying to counter the effects of the EU ban on its biodiesel by increasing its own domestic biodiesel blending requirement for vehicles and start using it in power plants.