China filed a dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Friday, September 19, over the US' antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) measures imposed on circular welded pipe and light-walled rectangular tube imports from China.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) imposed duties on $200 million of steel pipe imports from China, South Korea and Mexico on July 17, 2008 after a ruling from the US International Trade Commission (ITC). For Chinese exporters, the DOC set CVD duties as high as 615 percent on circular welded pipe, and as high as 200 percent for light-walled rectangular tubes, and AD duties as high as 85 percent on circular welded pipe and up to 264 percent on light-walled rectangular tubes.
Friday's filing also included a complaint against US duties imposed on tires and laminated woven sacks.
Under the WTO trade arbiter's rules, the two governments must now hold talks for at least two months to reach an agreement or understanding. If there is still no resolution at that time, the Chinese government can ask the WTO judges to rule.
This is the second WTO trade dispute filed by China against the US. In September 2007, China similarly challenged the US' measures on imports of coated sheet paper. Washington determined that there was no actual injury caused to the US paper industry and thus did not apply the measures.