CHINA INITIATES WTO DISPUTE OVER US TARIFFS, ECHOING CANADA

GENEVA, April 9 (Bernama-dpa) -- Beijing on Tuesday filed a complaint at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over new US tariffs on Chinese goods, saying they "seriously undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system."

In a letter to the WTO, China said the 34 per cent tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday violate international trade rules. It described the US measures as "discriminatory and protectionist in nature" and asked for bilateral talks to resolve the dispute, reported German news agency dpa.

It follows a similar move by Canada earlier in the week, which also requested consultations at the WTO after the US imposed 25 per cent tariffs on car imports.

This first formal step usually leads to the start of the arbitration process at the WTO, where a panel decides if trade actions are legal. However, the WTO is currently facing disruption as the US has blocked the appointment of new appeal judges for several years.

This means that no decision can be made if countries appeal against rulings by WTO arbitrators. 

The US has also failed to pay its contributions to the Geneva-based organisation, amid rumours that the administration of President Donald Trump intends to withdraw from the body.

China has announced its own 34 per cent retaliatory tariffs on US imports, prompting Trump to threaten with additional 50 per cent tariffs if Beijing refuses to withdraw the measures. 

--BERNAMA-dpa