Beijing hopes Canberra respects WTO ruling, removes tariff measures

REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

BEIJING—China’s Commerce Ministry called on Australia to respect a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling and rectify “violations” by removing disputed tariff measures, after a WTO panel partially upheld China’s antidumping complaint against Australia.

The trade dispute involves a Chinese complaint nearly three years ago over Australia’s antidumping and antisubsidy measures on products including railway wheels, wind towers and stainless steel sinks.The ministry on Wednesday said China appreciates the WTO’s ruling on the trade dispute between it and Australia, calling it objective, fair and unambiguous.

A WTO panel has found that duties imposed by Australia in a steel products dispute with China were flawed—a ruling that Canberra said it accepted.China launched the complaint in June 2021—during a period of intense bilateral political and trade tensions—over antidumping and antisubsidy measures on railway wheels, wind towers and stainless steel sinks.

In all three categories, the WTO said Australia’s investigating authority, the Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC), had acted inconsistently with some articles of its rules.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said in a statement that the panel had found some technical issues with how the duties were calculated.

“Australia will engage with China and take steps to implement the panel’s findings,” Farrell said.

“The report does not diminish the integrity of Australia’s trade remedies system. Our system is evidence-based and nondiscriminatory and will continue to respond effectively to unfair trade practices.”

Largest trading partner

Canberra had imposed duties totalling 10.9 percent on Chinese wind towers, 17.4 percent on railway wheels and up to 60.2 percent on stainless steel sinks.

Australia and China, its largest trading partner, are rebuilding ties after a period of strained relations which hit a low in 2020 after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origin of COVID-19.Other trade spats including one over high Chinese tariffs on Australian barley have been resolved.China will complete a review into tariffs on Australian wine by the end of March and it is also reviewing curbs on lobster imports, Farrell said this month. —Reuters

Reuters

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.