Photo taken on July 15, 2020 shows the exterior view of the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. photo: Xinhua

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday called on the US to stop looking for excuses and take immediate action to correct its wrong practices against China in trade remedy investigations, saying the US' refusal to carry out WTO rulings hurt global trade environment, after the WTO delivered another win for China in tariff disputes with the US. 

The WTO ruled that China can retaliate against $645 million in annual goods trade with the US over Washington's anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese goods, delivering another blow to the US relentless illegal protectionist actions against China.

The outcome of this case is of great significance for addressing the US' illegal countervailing practices against China, safeguarding the legitimate trade interests of Chinese enterprises and defending the multilateral trading system, the MOFCOM said in a statement on Thursday.

In 2012, China filed a complaint at the WTO challenging the countervailing duties imposed by the US between 2008 and 2012 on 22 Chinese products, ranging from solar panels to steel wire. The dispute has been under review for nearly a decade.

A WTO arbitrator on Wednesday issued a ruling on China's countervailing measures against the US, holding that China may request authorization from the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body to suspend concessions or other obligations at a level not exceeding $645.121 million per annum against the US. 

It is the second time that China has been granted by the WTO trade retaliation against the US. Previously, China was granted $3.579 billion in annual trade retaliation against the US in a WTO dispute over anti-dumping measures.

Global Times