The European Union on Friday asked the World Trade Organisation to rule in a dispute over Chinese anti-dumping duties imposed on steel pipes imported from EU countries.
The EU said in a news release that it made the request to the WTO after unsuccessful consultations in July to resolve the dispute over the duties imposed by China on imports of high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes from EU countries.
“The EU continues its fight against unjustified Chinese trade defence measures, which do not comply with WTO rules and often seem to be motivated by retaliation,” said EU Trade spokesman John Clancy in the statement.
But Beijing has said the duties would protect Chinese companies.
“This is not an act of retaliation but to protect the domestic steel trade,” said analyst Zhang Lin in a statement posted on the official site of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in June when the EU lodged a complaint with WTO.
The statement says China’s steel products are often subject to anti-dumping investigations in overseas markets. “It is a reasonable and logical measure for hitting back,” Zhang said.
