EU imposes duties on U.S. biodiesel imports

Published: 12 Mar 2009 00:44:56 PST

BRUSSELS, March 12 - The European Union has imposed antidumping and anti-subsidy duties on imports of biodiesel from the United States, the bloc said on Thursday.

From Friday, U.S. firms exporting biodiesel into the EU will have to pay additional antidumping tariffs of up to 29 percent, and anti-subsidy duties of between 29 and 41 percent for an initial six months, the EU said in its Official Journal.

The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation bloc, must decide within the next six months whether to impose "definitive duties" for at least five years, which must then be approved by trade ministers.