EU bio industry complains over U.S. duty evaders

BRUSSELS Nov 26 (Reuters) - Europe's biofuels industry said on Thursday it would lodge a complaint with EU trade authorities against companies they say are evading duties slapped on U.S. biodiesel imports.

The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation bloc, imposed definitive anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties of up to five years on imports of biodiesel from the United States in May. [ID:nLS984143]

But the Brussels-based European Biodiesel Board said it had strong indications that subsidised and dumped U.S. biodiesel continues to enter the EU market, either via third countries based on fraudulent declarations of origin, or through blends.

"Against the background of persisting circumvention practices, the EBB General Assembly decided to proceed with the lodging of an anti-circumvention complaint to the EU trade authorities," the group said in a statement.

"If and when established, these practices will lead to heavy and retroactive financial penalties," it said.

The EBB said it would file the complaint in coming weeks, but did not identify companies it suspected were involved in the practice.

Under the duties imposed by the Commission, U.S. agricultural processor and ethanol producers such as Archer Daniels Midland (ADM.N) faced an additional duty of 359 euros ($541) per metric tonne of biodiesel exported to the EU.

Over 50 companies that cooperated with the Commission's investigation faced a tariff of 335 euros per tonne, while all others had to pay 409 euros per tonne. Click Factbox on EU duties on U.S. biodiesel [ID:nLR275681] (Reporting by Bate Felix, editing by Darren Ennis) ($1=.6625 Euro) ((Reuters Messaging: bate.felix.reuters.com@reuters.net; Email: bate.felix@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 6812))