WASHINGTON D.C., March 19 (A.A) - Turkey is automatically outside the scope of the taxes in steel sector within the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) despite the statement of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Paul Wolfowitz who said that the U.S. administration favours Turkey by exempting it from paying taxes in steel.
Wolfowitz told Washington Institute meeting held to commemorate ex-president Turgut Ozal a short time ago that the Bush administration exempted Turkey from paying tax in steel.
Wolfowitz addressed the American Turkish Council meeting yesterday and said that the U.S. favoured Turkey in steel sector.
Legal representatives of the Turkish steel exporters told A.A in Washington D.C. that those developing countries who remain below 3 percent of the U.S.'s total steel import is exempt from tax within the scope of the rules of the WTO.
Turkey pays 13 percent tax for only construction iron within the scope of steel sector. Turkey's total steel exports to the U.S. is around 175 million dollars.
The observers in Washington D.C. criticize the attitude of the U.S. government which brought 30 percent tax against foreign steel producers which want to enter the American market in order to protect the American stell producers.