The World Trade Organization (WTO) has announced that its dispute settlement body has agreed to establish a panel to examine Japan’s complaint regarding safeguard duties imposed by India on imports of certain hot rolled flat products, which entered into force in March last year. China, the European Union, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United States and Vietnam reserved their third party rights to participate in the panel proceedings.
In December last year, Japan notified the WTO’s dispute settlement body that it requests dispute consultations with the Indian government, alleging that the Indian measures are inconsistent with a number of procedural and substantive provisions of the WTO's safeguard agreement. Following the consultations with India held on February 6 and 7, Japan requested the WTO to establish a panel.