The European Commission has launched an investigation into claims that the US is "dumping" subsidized biodiesel onto the European market. The US government supports the production of bio fuels from corn and soya, saying it provides an alternative to expensive, foreign crude oil. The complaint from the European Biodiesel Board, which sparked the investigation, suggested that the dumping had had an adverse effect on prices and the market share of European producers. If the European Commission, which will carry out the investigation, finds that the US has broken trade rules, it could respond by imposing duties on the imports.