WTO Dispute Panel Established in Japan-China Steel Row

A WTO dispute panel is set to hear Japan’s complaint regarding China’s anti-dumping duties on imports of high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes (HP-SSST), after Tokyo presented its second panel request at a meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 24 May.

Japan had originally filed its request for consultations last December. It then submitted its first request for a panel in April, which was blocked by China. Under WTO rules, a respondent in a dispute can reject initial panel requests; however, when a second request is filed, a panel must automatically be established.

At issue in the case are procedural concerns regarding how China has conducted the anti-dumping investigations. Japan claims that China has violated WTO rules due to “flaws in every aspect of its anti-dumping investigations.” China, for its part, said at last week’s DSB meeting that its anti-dumping investigations are WTO-consistent.

According to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, China’s anti-dumping duties on certain HP-SSST exports range from 9.2 percent to 14.4 percent. Exports of this product were worth approximately US$72 million in 2011.