United States – Countervailing Duty Investigation on Dynamic Random Access Memory Semiconductors (DRAMS) from Korea (WT/DS296): Report of the Panel

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Complaint of Korea

On 30 June 2003, Korea requested consultations with the US pursuant to Article 4 of the DSU, Article 30 of the SCM Agreement, and Article XXII of the GATT 1994, with regard to the DOC Preliminary and Final subsidy determinations on Dynamic Random Access Memory Semiconductors from Korea, published in the Federal Register on 7 April 2003 and 23 June 2003, respectively, the ITC Preliminary injury determination published in the Federal Register on 27 December 2003, and any subsequent determinations made during the ITC's injury investigation on DRAMS and DRAM Modules from Korea.

On 18 August 2003, Korea requested further consultations with the US pursuant to the same provisions cited in its initial request, with regard to the ITC's Final determination of material injury, and the DOC's Final countervailing duty order, both published in the Federal Register on 11 August 2003. According to Korea, both of these actions relate to the same underlying measures at issue in Korea's initial request for consultations.

Korea and the US held consultations on 20 August 2003 and 1 October 2003, but failed to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution of the matter. With respect to the ITC preliminary injury determination and the DOC countervailing duty order, the US maintained that Korea's consultation requests did not conform with Article 4.4 of the DSU because Korea did not identify any provisions with which the preliminary determination or order were inconsistent. The US asserted that, as a result, it did not agree to consult on either the preliminary determination or the order.

On 19 November 2003, Korea requested the establishment of a Panel to examine the matter.

Establishment and composition of the Panel

At its meeting on 23 January 2004, the DSB established a Panel in accordance with Article 6 of the DSU and pursuant to the request made by Korea in document WT/DS296/2.