China takes dispute to World Trade Organization over Trump’s tariffs

GENEVA: China has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against tariffs imposed on Chinese goods by US President Donald Trump, the Geneva-based trade body confirmed on Wednesday (Feb 5), according to Reuters.

On Saturday, Trump imposed tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China, demanding they stop the flow of fentanyl and, in the cases of Canada and Mexico, illegal immigrants. However, he later froze tariffs on the two North American countries.  The US President imposed a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese exports, which China vowed to challenge at the WTO.

WTO cited a statement by China’s government arguing that the measures seemed to go against US obligations under the agreement that created the trade body. The statement said, “China reserves the right to raise additional measures and claims regarding the matters identified herein during the course of consultations and in any future request for the establishment of a panel.”

However, it didn’t specify what those measures might be.

Since December 2019, the WTO’s dispute resolution system has been largely inactive due to the collapse of its appellate body, which handles final decisions on disputes.

Both the Trump and Biden administrations blocked new judge appointments, citing concerns about judicial overreach. With fewer than three judges, the body cannot function. /TISG

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