MAKERS of the famous Halls Mentholyptus sweets could be hit by American trade sanctions in retaliation for Europe's ban on US beef.

Any such move might affect Radcliffe manufacturers Adams Warner Lambert which is a world leader in the field.

America is preparing a hitlist of goods on which to impose huge tariffs worth more than £100 million - and Britain's lucrative export market of cough drops could be among the targets.

The move is prompted by the continued refusal of Brussels to lift its import ban on American beef which has been treated with hormones.

But the World Trade Organisation says the EU has failed to provide evidence that hormones damage health. The US is to draw up its final list of goods to be hit by sanctions by the end of the week.

The Radcliffe end of the business declined to comment, but local Euro MP Gary Titley was pessimistic about a solution to the dispute, which he says has been going on for years.

"Under WTO rules, you've got to have scientific grounds for a ban, but this is a clash of two cultures," he said. "The US believes something is safe unless proven otherwise. It's the other way round in Europe, so we can't even agree on testing measures.

"I am in favour of a ban, but we are in a position where our industries are being damaged by these measures. And it hurts industries which are not involved in the dispute, which is wrong."

Mr Titley added: "A compromise solution would be for there to be labelling, making it clear that this beef has been treated with growth hormones. But the US didn't accept the methods of labelling. It's a dialogue of the deaf."

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