WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION

Hong Kong Files WTO Case Against U.S. “Made in China” Marking Requirement

03 November 2020

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a general notice earlier this year formally requiring all goods originating in Hong Kong to be marked to indicate “China” as their country of origin, effective for goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse on or after 10 November. On 30 October, Hong Kong filed a dispute settlement case with the WTO objecting to this change. More

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WTO Rules Against U.S. Section 301 Tariffs

17 September 2020

A WTO dispute settlement panel ruled on 15 September that the United States’ imposition of additional tariffs on US$234 billion worth of imports from mainland China violated U.S. obligations under WTO rules. U.S. officials decried the decision, although it will likely have no practical effect. More

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WTO Panel: US Section 301 Tariff Measures Against China in Breach of its WTO Obligations

17 September 2020

The panel established by the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) issued its report on 15 September concerning a complaint filed by China over the Section 301 tariff measures of the United States on certain Chinese goods, ruling that the challenged tariff measures of the United States are in infringement of its WTO obligations. More

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More Tariff Increases Possible as U.S. Considers Revising WTO Commitments

24 June 2020

Recent comments by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer that the United States will “seek a broader reset at the WTO” with respect to member countries’ tariff commitments suggest that more U.S. tariff increases, along with retaliatory measures by U.S. trading partners, could be on the horizon. More

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China, EU and 14 Other WTO Members Establish Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement

02 April 2020

According to a post on the website of China’s Ministry of Commerce on 27 March, China, the EU and some other members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) issued a ministerial statement on their decision to establish a Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement under the WTO. More

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Issues to be Addressed in Phase Two Agreement with Mainland China Outlined in USTR Report

16 March 2020

USTR’s annual report on mainland China’s compliance with its World Trade Organisation accession commitments details complaints on a number of issues the United States wants to address in a phase two trade agreement. More

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U.S. Reportedly Contemplating Increase to WTO Bound Rates

21 February 2020

A Bloomberg press report claims that the Trump administration is considering raising bound tariff rates notified by the United States to the WTO. However, a USTR spokesman declared in response to questions on this matter that “the administration has expressed numerous times that we are very troubled that many of our trading partners have tariffs that are much higher than the United States’, but there are no plans at this time to raise our bound tariff levels at the WTO.” More

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European Commission Presents Draft Reform of EU Trade Enforcement Regulation

15 January 2020

The European Commission has presented a proposal that seeks to allow the EU to enforce international trade rules in circumstances where the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) is no longer able to render binding dispute settlement decisions. The proposal has been presented as a reaction to the blockage of the operation of the WTO Appellate Body by the United States. Moreover, the Commission has also created the Office of the Chief Trade Enforcement Officer. More

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European Commission Warms to Ideas about Future of Carbon Border Measure

12 December 2019

As recently reported, upcoming officials of the European Commission (“Commission”) have manifested their interest in taking measures to address imports with high carbon content and the so-called “carbon leakage” phenomenon. Officials are still considering the form of the measure. More

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No U.S. Consensus Yet on Approach to WTO Crisis

10 December 2019

The Trump administration’s on-going refusal to confirm World Trade Organisation Appellate Body judges will result in a lack of a quorum for that body on 10 December. In response, various parties are trying to mediate the crisis. More

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