GENEVA: China won a partial victory at the World Trade Organisation on Tuesday in a dispute over tariffs imposed on its poultry products by the European Union.

Between 2006 and 2009, Brussels set up a wide range of tariffs on poultry imports.

The EU then cut separate deals with Brazil and Thailand to reduce costs on imports from the two countries.

Beijing claimed it deserved the same deal under WTO rules, which seek to create a level playing field for global trade. After the EU refused, China in 2015 filed a 10-point complaint with a WTO panel of experts.

In Tuesday’s ruling, the experts sided with China on two issues, saying “the EU violated WTO rules” concerning Beijing’s duck, goose and guinea fowl exports.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2017