On 23 October the World Trade Organisation established a panel to review EU anti-dumping measures applied to imports of iron and steel fasteners from China.
The panel was requested by China and not opposed by the European Commission. The WTO summary notes: China said that the EC’s measures nullified or impaired the benefits it enjoyed under the anti-dumping agreement and had urged the EC to promptly withdraw measures inconsistent with the WTO. The EC recalled that anti-dumping measures were not about protectionism, but about fighting unfair trade. The EC said that it strictly followed the applicable WTO rules in all its anti-dumping cases. The EC said it was strongly convinced of the strength of its case. The EC added that it had at this point no hope for a mutually agreed solution and this was the reason why the EC accepted the establishment of a panel.
The European Commission had already made it clear it would defend its measures before the panel.
Thailand, Canada, the US, Chinese Taipei, India and Japan reserved their third-party rights, the WTO says. Doing so allows these countries to receive copies of submissions and to participate in the panel procedure.
According to the WTO website it will take six months from the appointment of panellists for the final panel report to be presented to the parties in the dispute. Three weeks later the final panel report is presented to WTO members and there is a further 60 days for the Dispute Settlement Body to adopt the report, if there is no appeal. If an appeal is lodged a further 60 - 90 days is required for the appeals report, and further additional days for the Dispute Settlement Body to adopt it.
