US complains to WTO over ‘unfair’ Chinese duties

‘China must play by the rules of the global trading system’:

US: The United States said Thursday it had lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization over “unfair” Chinese duties on cars from the US, adding fresh fuel to bilateral trade tensions.

US President Barack Obama's administration has asked the WTO for “dispute settlement consultations” in the case, the first step in a trade grievance, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said.

The action seeks to halt China's imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on more than $3 billion in exports of American-produced automobiles, announced last December amid a rising number of tit-for-tat bilateral trade actions.

“The key principle at stake is that China must play by the rules of the global trading system,” the White House said in a statement.

“When it does not, the Obama administration will take action to ensure that American businesses and workers are competing on a level playing field.”

“As we have made clear, the Obama Administration will continue to fight to ensure that China does not misuse its trade laws and violate its international trade commitments to block exports of American-made products,” said Kirk in a statement. AFP