US requests consultations with China over steel duties

GENEVA - The United States requested consultations with China on Monday over the latter's implementation of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)'s recommendations and rulings in a high-tech steel dispute between the two countries, announced the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday.

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 US to comply with WTO rulings since July last year.

According to WTO, the US claimed in its request that "China's measures are inconsistent with the Anti-Dumping Agreement and the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement."

Ministry of Commerce of China responded Tuesday in Beijing that China respects WTO's rulings and has completely carried out all the implementation in the reasonable period of time.

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.