STEEL - U.S. GOALS FOR FEBRUARY 24-25 OECD

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000494 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EB/TPP/BTA/EWH - MKEHOE STATE PASS USTR FOR ANDREW STEPHENS USDOC FOR ITA/IA - A/S SHIRZAD AND ITA - JSPETRINI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EIND ECON CA SUBJECT: STEEL - U.S. GOALS FOR FEBRUARY 24-25 OECD DISCIPLINES STUDY GROUP REF: SECSTATE 45598 ¶1. EconCouns passed reftel talking points to Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Deputy Director for Trade Remedies Mike Robertson on February 20. Robertson noted significant overlap between the U.S. goals and the GOC's objectives for the February 24-25 Study Group meeting. He said Canada and the United States had exchanged papers and he had seen several other countries' comments as well. ¶2. Based on the positive outcome of the December meeting and the good work he had seen since, Robertson was optimistic that next week's meeting would make substantial progress toward effective discipline of steel subsidies. He did note a couple of areas that, in Canada's view, were not ripe for discussion. For example, said Robertson, Canada will not take a position on enforcement mechanisms until the GOC is clear on what is being enforced. Similarly, Robertson said there was no way of knowing what kind of special and differential (S&D) treatment should be offered and to whom without knowing the range of agreed disciplines to which the non-S&D participants were willing to submit. ¶3. Robertson welcomed the expression of U.S. gratitude for effective NAFTA solidarity at the December meeting, agreeing that it had been a factor in increasing the momentum of the OECD effort. He also praised the hard work of the OECD secretariat in pressing participants for written comment. SIPDIS CELLUCCI