China has proposed tightening the rules on when countries can impose anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs, saying their use was rising and that such charges were often misused and distorted international trade. In a filing published by the World Trade Organization on Monday, China said it wanted to stop anti-dumping measures from “over-reaching” and becoming permanent, giving special consideration to small- and medium-sized firms, and imposing tougher standards for the use of such tariffs. According to Reuters, the five-page proposal is unlikely to get the required unanimous support of the body’s 164 members, and may be flatly rejected by the United States, where Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has been a fierce critic of China’s trade practices. The proposal, which trade diplomats had anticipated for months, may seek to divert attention from Chinese fishing subsidies, which are under fire in negotiations at the same WTO committee.
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