China Protests Latest U.S. Trade Case at WTO

(Reuters – Ben Blanchard)

China said on Sunday it had consistently respected the rules of the World Trade Organization and would work with the WTO on a suit lodged against it by the United States aimed at halting export subsidy programs.

The United States began legal action at the WTO on Friday to halt Chinese government subsidy programs to boost the sale of Chinese-branded goods around the world. The subsidies benefit a wide range of Chinese industrial sectors, including household electronic appliances, textiles and apparel, a range of light manufacturing industries, agricultural and food products, metal and chemical products, medicines and health products, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office said.
The subsidies include cash grant rewards for exporting, preferential loans for exporters and payments to lower the cost of export credit insurance, the USTR said.

However, China’s Commerce Ministry, in a short statement on its website said China respected the rules. “China has all along respected the rules of the WTO, and opposes trade protectionism,” it paraphrased an unnamed official as saying. “China will deal with (the suit) in accordance with WTO rules.” Read more here.