US requests talks with China over high-tech steel duties

WASHINGTON - US Trade Representative Michael Froman said Monday that the United States was requesting China to enter into a consultation over Chinese duties on US high-tech steel exports following a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute.

In November 2012, the WTO concluded that China imposed duties on US exports of grain oriented flat-rolled electrical steel (GOES) in breach of both procedural and substantive WTO rules. China has re-determined its duties on GOES from the United States to comply with WTO ruling since July last year.

The United States reviewed the re-determination and considered it still failed to conform to the WTO rule, said Office of the United States Trade Representative.

The office noted that seeking a consultation marked the first time the United States has initiated a proceeding in the WTO to challenge a claim by China that it has complied in a WTO dispute.

GOES is a high-tech, high-value magnetic specialty steel that is used primarily by the power generating industry in transformers, rectifiers, reactors, and large electric machines.