WTO says China steel tariffs illegal

The WTO ruled that Chinese tariffs on US steel imports are illegal, confirming an initial ruling in June that Beijing had violated international trade law, Financial Times reported. China imposed tariffs on high-tech steel used in building power stations in response to the “Buy America” provision that came with the US’s 2009 stimulus package. The anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs covered bids on iron and steel contracts from the US or countries with government procurement agreements. The WTO panel agreed with US representatives that China did not demonstrate Buy America’s damaging effect on the Chinese steel industry. President Barack Obama has won several claims against China in the WTO, though the administration has also lost some cases, including one which ruled some aspects of the US’s double-duty policy illegal.