A
piece of recent news reported that the Office of U.S. Trade Representative has
elevated a trade complaint by asking for the World Trade Organization to
establish a dispute settlement panel to rule on U.S. claims that China is
unfairly restraining exports of rare earth materials used in electronics and
other products.
The
European Union and Japan
on Wednesday also requested a dispute settlement panel at the WTO, the USTR
said in a press release. In March, the U.S.,
E.U. and Japan filed a WTO
complaint, accusing China
of using several types of export restraints on the rare earth materials,
including export duties, export quotas, export and pricing requirements.
China produces more than 95% of the world's rare earth materials. The U.S. complaint
covers rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum, used in the manufacturing of
mobile phones, laptops and MP3 players as well as hybrid car batteries, wind
turbines, steel and petroleum.
"These
materials are key inputs in a multitude of U.S. manufacturing sectors and
American-made products," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a
statement. "It is vital that U.S.
workers and manufacturers obtain the fair and equal access to raw materials
like rare earths that China
specifically agreed to when it joined the WTO."
When
China
joined the WTO in 2001, it agreed to eliminate export duties for rare earths
and most other products, the USTR said.
"Despite
China's
characterizations, its export restraint measures on rare earths, tungsten and
molybdenum appear to be part of a troubling industrial policy aimed at
providing substantial competitive advantages for Chinese manufacturers at the expense
of foreign manufacturers," the USTR said in its press release.
Representatives
of the Chinese Embassy in Washington,
D.C., didn't respond to a request
for comment.
The
WTO dispute resolution process has several steps. The whole process can take
longer than a year if the dispute settlement panel's decision is appealed.
Ultimately, the WTO could allow trade sanctions in a WTO dispute.
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