U.S. Filing 7 Complaints With WTO

Airbus Industrie will be the subject of one of seven new trade complaints the U.S. will file at the World Trade Organization, ranging from accusations that the European Union is allowing France to subsidize the aircraft maker’s flight management system to a claim that South Korea restricts sales of imported beef. The actions also take aim at India’s auto rules, the EU’s geographic designations for farm products, Canada’s limits on patent protection, Argentina’s provision of marketing rights for agricultural chemicals and South Korea’s airport construction procurement rules. The complaints were highlighted under a policy known as Super 301 that President Clinton renewed two months ago, after letting it lapse for more than a year. Super 301 helps the U.S. identify restrictions on access to foreign markets. The complaints may take years to resolve.