Congressman Crowley Applauds WTO's Decision Upholding U.S. Claim of Tariff Violations by EU

Statement

Today, Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), one of nine chief deputy whips, issued the statement below applauding the decision by the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute-settlement panel to uphold the U.S. claim that the European Union (EU) violated its WTO tariff commitments by imposing duties as high as 14 percent on high-tech products covered by the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA). Crowley has worked closely on the issue since 2007, pressing successive Administrations to pursue action at the WTO.

"Today's announcement is a significant win for U.S. technology companies, workers and millions of consumers who, for too long, felt the burden of the EU's deliberate violation of the WTO Information Technology Agreement.

"The EU's failure to honor its commitments to the ITA harmed some of America's most innovative, high-tech firms and their workers, who increasingly faced an un-level playing field in Europe because of these arbitrary tariffs. This is why I spearheaded numerous efforts urging both the Obama and Bush Administrations to aggressively pursue the dispute-settlement case to ensure the tariffs are redacted and to stop the EU from further eroding the innovative spirit of the ITA.

"I hope the EU will respect the WTO's decision and make the necessary changes to ensure EU and U.S. high-tech firms are on equal ground."

Congressman Crowley is the six-term representative from the 7th Congressional District of New York, which includes sections of Queens and the Bronx. He sits on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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