In 2018, Donald Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum.
Geneva:
The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled on Friday that US tariffs imposed by then-President Donald Trump on steel and aluminum imports violated global trade rules, prompting Washington to criticize.
In one of the most high-profile and potentially explosive cases brought to the WTO, a three-member tribunal said U.S. measures were inconsistent with WTO rules and forced the U.S. to comply with them. I recommended that you let
The US said it strongly rejects the Panel’s “flawed” interpretations and conclusions.
With Washington blocking appointments to the WTO Appellate Body and unable to pass judgments, it could appeal a ruling that falls into legal void.
China said it hoped the US would respect the panel’s decision and “rectify its wrongdoings as soon as possible.”
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement that the United States would not “just stand by” while China’s overcapacity threatened China’s steel and aluminum sectors and national security.
“We do not intend to remove our Article 232 obligations as a result of these controversies,” he said, adding that the panel report reinforced the need for WTO reform.
The US steel sector also criticized the WTO panel, with the Steel Manufacturers Association saying it supported the government’s refusal to accept the conclusions.
President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminum in 2018, using Section 232 of a 1962 law that allows the president to restrict imports if they threaten national security. Free trade partners Canada and Mexico were later excluded.
The tariffs prompted multiple WTO member China to challenge the measures, and on Friday a three-member WTO panel announced its findings on lawsuits filed by China, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. Lawsuits filed by India and Russia are still pending.
Washington agreed last year to eliminate tariffs on EU imports and urged Brussels to stay the EU lawsuit.
Otherwise, President Joe Biden’s administration has maintained metal tariffs that have been one of the centerpieces of Trump’s America First strategy.
The lawsuit hinged on the exemptions from global trade rules that the WTO allows in cases of national security.
A central US argument was that national security should be judged by countries themselves, not by the three WTO adjudicators in Geneva.
Plaintiff Switzerland does not question the right of WTO members to take broad discretionary measures to protect their security, but they must meet certain minimum requirements that may be reviewed by the WTO. said.
(Except for the headline, this article is unedited by NDTV staff and published from a syndicated feed.)
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