GENEVA: World Trade Organisation experts ruled on Wednesday that tariffs imposed by China on billions’ worth of US imports in retaliation for Washington’s steel and aluminium tariffs violated international trade rules.

A WTO panel set up to help resolve one of numerous disputes within the tit-for-tat trade war between the world’s two biggest economies found that China’s “additional duties measure is inconsistent” with various articles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Beijing indicated it was studying the ruling.

Washington meanwhile hailed the decision, with Sam Michel, a spokesman for the US trade representative, saying it recognised that China “illegally retaliated with sham ‘safeguard’ tariffs”.

The case revolves around China’s decision in April 2018 to impose tariffs on 128 US imports worth $3 billion, including fruits and pork.

That move came shortly after the administration of former US President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from China and a number of other countries.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2023