Hynix Semiconductor filed a lawsuit last week against the European Union (EU) with a European court, claiming that the EU Commission's imposition of hefty import duties on its chip exports is unfair.

The world's third-largest memory semiconductor maker said it has filed a petition with the Court of First Instance (CFI), protesting punitive tariffs imposed on its chips by the EU Commission. The CFI is an EU court for arbitrating disputes between companies or governments.

Hynix said it will prove at the court that the EU Commission's claim that the South Korean government had subsidized the company is groundless and its decision to levy tariffs on its chips runs counter to relevant laws.

``If we win the case, we will be refunded the duties we have already paid,'' Hynix said in a statement.

Last August, the EU slapped a tariff of 34.8 percent on Hynix's memory chips for the next five years, accusing the South Korean firm of receiving government subsidies.

The complaint is the latest of South Korea's efforts to overturn the EU decision, which came on the heels of a similar decision by the United States. In June, the U.S. slapped a 44.71 percent import tariff on chips made by Hynix.

The Korean government also filed a petition with the World Trade Organization in August, claiming that the aid for Hynix came not from the government but from creditor institutions in exchange for the promise of rigorous restructuring.

Hynix, which has long struggled with mounting deficits, has come out with stronger-than-expected quarterly results in the third quarter.

The ailing chipmaker said it posted an operating profit of 94 billion won ($80.34 million) for the third quarter, marking its first quarterly profit since the first quarter of 2002. In the previous quarter, it logged an operating loss of 183 billion won.

By: DocMemory
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