U.S. gets WTO panel for rice trade dispute with Mexico

U.S. gets WTO panel for rice trade dispute with Mexico    The World Trade Organization has established a dispute settlement panel to review a U.S. challenge to Mexico’s antidumping order on U.S. long-grained white rice.
   Mexico imposed the antidumping duties on U.S. white long grain rice in June 2002. In addition, Mexico passed amendments to its antidumping and countervailing duty laws in December 2002.
   “American rice exports to Mexico are being unfairly blocked,” said U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick in a statement. “This administration will continue to aggressively work to ensure that Americans are treated fairly in the international trading system.”
   The United States exports about $100 million of all types of rice to Mexico. USTR said there has been a 50 percent decline of about $17 million of exports to Mexico of the milled rice on which antidumping duties have been applied.