Panel Established on EU Complaint against China’s Anti-dumping Duties

The Dispute Settlement Body, on 30 August 2013, established a panel requested by the European Union to examine Chinese measures imposing anti-dumping duties on high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes from the EU.

DS460: China — Measures Imposing Anti-Dumping Duties on High-Performance Stainless Steel Seamless Tubes (“HP-SSST”) from the European Union

At the request of the European Union, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) established a panel to examine this dispute. The EU said that anti-dumping duties imposed by China on imports of steel tubes from the EU were inconsistent with the WTO's Anti-Dumping Agreement. Consultations to resolve the matter had failed, hence the EU's request for the establishment of a panel. The EU noted that the matter in this dispute was the same as in DS454 where a panel had already been established and composed. Thus, in light of Article 9.3 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), the EU would agree to having the same panellists as in DS454 examine this dispute. The EU was ready to engage with a view to harmonizing the timetables for the two disputes.

China said that the imposition of the anti-dumping measure was consistent with its obligations under WTO rules. China noted that, at Japan's request, the DSB had already established a panel in DS454 to consider a similar measure now challenged by the EU. In order to allow the proceedings in the two disputes to be promptly harmonized, China agreed to the establishment of a panel in DS460 and agreed with the EU on having the same panellists as in DS454. Japan said that, since the EU's claims under DS460 were related to the same measures as DS454, it was ready to cooperate with the harmonization of the procedures under Article 9.3 of the DSU.