Business Tianjin Magazine - Business English Magazine in China

China Welcomes WTO Finding Against EU

Monday, 18 July 2011 11:42

China welcomed findings by the World Trade Organization's Appellate Body in a Chinese antidumping case against the European Union, China's Commerce Ministry said Saturday.

The Appellate Body supported China's position on the EU's application of antidumping tariffs to imports of certain metal fasteners from China. Both the EU and China had filed appeals after the WTO in December condemned the tariffs, handing Beijing its biggest legal victory so far at the WTO.

"China hopes Europe as quickly as possible eliminates the legislation and discriminatory antidumping policies that are inconsistent with WTO rules," the Commerce Ministry said in a statement. "China's victory in this case is very meaningful and will help improve the competitive environment for Chinese companies in international markets including the EU".

A spokesman for EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht declined to comment.

The WTO on Friday said the Appellate Body upheld earlier findings that part of the EU's dumping rules were inconsistent with WTO rules.

China joined the WTO in 2001. Its exports to the rich world immediately soared, leading to tensions over currency values, public contracts, access to the Chinese market by Western companies and charges of "dumping," or exporting to a foreign country below cost.

The EU and the U.S. have made extensive use of WTO rules that allow countries to impose tariffs on dumped goods, frequently targeting countries where the state plays a large role in the economy, such as China or India. But China has also begun systematically challenging EU and U.S. tariff increases against its exports.

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