CHINA ALSO PROTAGONIST AT THE WTO

Protectionist measures (anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties primarily) applied to many Chinese products by economies concerned about Dragon’s aggressiveness on world markets and an unparalleled post-pandemic recovery are often a source of controversy, subject to WTO arbitration.

On 11 June, the Japanese delegation to the WTO handed over to the Dispute Settlement Body a document, directed at the Chinese delegation, in which it disputes the legitimacy and compliance with international trade regulations of the anti-dumping measures, ordered, with Announcements N. 9 and N. 31 of 2019, by MOFCOM, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, on imports of stainless-steel billets, coils and hotrolled sheet of Japanese origin. The Chinese tax, in addition to being contrary to art. 1 of the Anti-Dumping Agreement and Article VI of the GATT, would cancel or weaken the benefits due, directly or indirectly, to Japan by virtue of these agreements. On 24 June, the Chinese delegation always handed over to the Dispute Settlement Body a complaint, for identical reasons to the previous ones, against the anti-dumping measures ordered by the Australian Government on imports of

certain Chinese products, including wind towers, railway wheels, stainless steel accessories, reserving claims and retaliation. A response from China and Australia is awaited and resolutive negotiations are hoped for. Did the Boeing/Airbus lawsuit teach us nothing?