	european community criticises u s  measures the european community ec accused the united states of violating a political commitment to free  through practices including a tax on imported gasoline and a customs user fee ec ambassador tran van thinh made the formal charge to the surveillance body of the general agreement on tariffs and  gatt gatt spokesman david woods told reporters woods also said the ec was joined by the united states in criticising brazil for extending its list of products for which import licenses have been temporarily suspended so as to improve its balance of payments the united states charged japan with violating gatt rules by restricting imports of agricultural products through an import licensing system the united states asked for consultations with tokyo on the issue tran charged that the  measures contravened a political commitment to halt and reverse  barriers pledged by ministers in punta del este last september when ministers established the four year uruguay round to negotiate freer  in areas they set up the gatt surveillance body to monitor this commitment known in gatt jargon as standstill and rollback tran criticised washington for the superfund tax on oil imports a customs user fee and the removal of a special machine tool known as category fsc from its government procurement list for reasons of national security warren lavorel a u s  official defended the policies saying they did not violate gatt  rules the surveillance body will send a record of today s talks to the  negotiating committee which oversees the round to decide any further action on the charges the oil tax and customs user fee have already been the subject of formal gatt dispute panels set up outside the uruguay round to rule on the legality of the practices the ruling gatt council yesterday adopted a dispute panel s report and ruled that the u s superfund tax on oil imports breached  rules it called on washington to modify its legislation mexico and canada along with the european community brought the dispute to the gatt last year reuter 
