WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION

EU Publishes Draft List of Goods Which Could Be Targeted by Retaliatory Measures If Imported from US

29 April 2019

On 17 April 2019, the European Commission published a draft list containing the details of products that could be targeted with additional punitive tariffs when imported into the European Union from the United States. More

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U.S. Gets Favourable WTO Ruling in Dispute Over Mainland China’s Agricultural TRQs

25 April 2019

A WTO dispute settlement panel recently determined that mainland China has administrated its tariff-rate quotas for wheat, corn and rice inconsistently with its WTO obligations. USTR indicated that this is the second significant victory for U.S. agriculture this year and, “together with the victory against China’s excessive domestic support for grains, will help American farmers complete on a more level playing field.” More

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Concerns Raised Over Impact of U.S. Telecom Proposal on Mainland Chinese Firms

23 April 2019

At a 15 April meeting of the WTO Council for Trade in Goods in Geneva, the WTO representative from mainland China criticised a rule under consideration by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that could especially affect mainland Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE. More

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U.S. Trade Remedy Methodology Gets Rare Win at WTO

18 April 2019

In a break with a years-long series of rulings, a World Trade Organisation dispute settlement panel has upheld a U.S. use of zeroing, a controversial methodology used in trade remedy cases that generally results in higher AD and CV duties. The decision will be appealed by Canada, which brought the case to challenge U.S. AD/CV duties on softwood lumber imported from that country. More

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EU-US Trade Tensions Persist, Yet Hope Remains for Adoption of Bilateral Pact

16 April 2019

On 8 April 2019, the US threatened to impose tariffs amounting to USD 11.2 billion on a range of EU products, as a countermeasure to illegal subsidies provided by the EU to Airbus. The ultimate purpose, in the words of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, is “to reach an agreement with the EU to end all WTO-inconsistent subsidies to large civil aircraft”. More

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Lighthizer Continues to Favour Tough Action to Achieve WTO Reform

14 March 2019

In a 12 March hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the United States should continue to boldly use its leverage to achieve much-needed reform at the World Trade Organisation. More

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U.S. Claims WTO Win on Mainland China Grain Subsidies

11 March 2019

A WTO dispute settlement panel has sided with the United States in the first WTO case pursued by that country against mainland China’s agricultural support policy. A Bloomberg article notes that if mainland China complies with this “landmark ruling” it could “help make America’s farmers more competitive as they struggle with the fallout of Trump’s trade war with China.” More

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U.S. Seeks to Limit Special and Differential Treatment under WTO Rules

21 February 2019

On 15 February, the Secretariat of the World Trade Organisation circulated a U.S. proposal aimed at limiting the rights of WTO members to self-designate as a developing country eligible for special and differential treatment. More

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European Commission Publishes Regulation Imposing Definitive Safeguards on Imports of Certain Steel Products

08 February 2019

On 1 February 2019, the EU published Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/159 (“Regulation 2019/159” or the “Definitive Regulation”) by means of which it imposes safeguard measures on imports of certain steel products. According to the provisions of Regulation 2019/159, the safeguard measures take the form of tariff-rate quotas combined with a 25% ad valorem duty. More

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USTR Highlights Outstanding Concerns in Annual Report on Mainland China’s WTO Compliance

08 February 2019

The United States is taking a more aggressive approach to ensure that mainland China, not the United States, bears the costs of its non-market economic system, according to a report from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. At the same time, the United States will encourage mainland China to make fundamental structural changes to its approach to the economy and trade. More

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