In what could well become a cause celebre with third world countries led by Hungary and India that have been investing heavily to build a software export business, the US Commerce Department has ruled that computer-aided software engineering programs from CSA Pte Ltd of Singapore were developed with government finance and were therefore liable to import duties of 15.25% under un-fair trade rules if the preliminary finding is confirmed by a subsequent review. The ruling was made in response to a petition by Visible Systems Corp, Waltham, Massachusetts. As well as the likes of India and Hungary, Japanese and European companies could also well fall foul of the ruling.
