The European Union has voiced “disappointment and concern” at a decision by the US Department of Commerce to impose provisional countervailing duties on imports of low enriched uranium from the EU, most of which has been reprocessed. EU officials claim that the American government had ignored a number of “persuasive arguments” put up by Brussels, the Member States concerned, (France, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain), and the companies Eurodif and Urenco. It reserved the right to launch a disputes case at the WTO. It claimed that the US government should not have based its action on complaints from USEC. It said: “Being simply a provider of enrichment services, (USEC) is not a producer of low enriched uranium and therefore should not be allowed lodge a petition.”
