U.S. denies lobby pressure in anti-dumping duties
By Nick Yon
SEOUL, March 6 (Reuters) - A senior United States official
on Friday brushed aside allegations that political influence was
behind preliminary anti-dumping duties on South Korea's leading
semi-conductor producers.
"The reporting I've seen in the Korean press is inaccurate
... allegations of a political decision (by the U.S. commerce
department) defy logic," Deputy U.S. Trade Representative
Richard Fisher said in a news conference.
The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday levied preliminary
anti-dumping margins of 7.61 percent on dynamic random access
memory (DRAM) chips produced by LG Semicon Co Ltd (KOREA:29890) and
12.64 percent on Hyundai Electronics Industries Co Ltd
(KOREA:00660).
Local media immediately accused U.S. businesses of staging
lobbying campaigns pressuring the U.S. government to take steps
against South Korean chip producers on the basis that Korea
allegedly used International Monetary Fund aid to subsidise
cash-strapped local chip manufacturers.
The IMF arranged nearly $60 billion in a bail-out package
for South Korea last December.
"It (the decision) was based on a study requested by LG,
Hyundai, and Micron ... which was (conducted) between May 1996
and April 1997 before the currency crisis," Fisher said.
He said Korean chipmakers could appeal against the
preliminary ruling on their memory chips.
"The decision made is a preliminary decision and there have
been no duties imposed or collected," Fisher said.
"Between now and July, LG and Hyundai can present their
analysis and argue their case. Once presented, there will be one
final determination in July," he said.
The U.S. Commerce Department's decision coincides with a
dispute between South Korean chipmakers and the United States on
anti-dumping duties.
The World Trade Organisation has set up a panel to look into
a South Korean complaint that the U.S. should drop anti-dumping
charges on chip exports.
Fisher and other members of his trade delegation arrived in
Seoul on Thursday, to gain familiarisation with South Korea's
new administration, U.S. officials said. |
