Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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413. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has had discussions at European Union level following the recent decision by the US to increase the tariff on all imported butter from EU countries by the reported figure of 59 cent per kilogramme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37507/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am concerned by the announcement by the United States of its invocation of the WTO Special Agricultural Safeguard clause (SSG) in relation to butter products with effect from Monday 5 October 2015. My Department has been engaged in intensive follow-up with the European Commission, with the US Embassy in London, with EU Member State colleagues and with the industry in an effort to limit the impact of the measure on the industry. We have in particular been assisting the Commission in its consultations with the United States, and in this regard have focused on the lack of meaningful consultation in advance of the announcement, the inconsistency of the approach this year compared to previous years, and the fact that, while imports of butter into the US have increased over recent years, there is no evidence of any impairment of the US butter market. In addition to asking the Commission to use all of its efforts to persuade the US to withdraw the SSG, we have asked it to seek a commitment from the US concerning non-activation in future years. We have also supported the Commission’s efforts in clarifying the status of product in transit so as to minimise the practical impact of the measure on exporting companies.