Posted on 11 Mar 2015
The World Trade Organization agreed Tuesday to create two
expert panels to help settle Canadian rows with Taiwan and China over tariffs
on steel pipes and cellulose pulp.
In the first case, Taiwan had launched a complaint against Canada over duties
on carbon steel welded pipes that Ottawa claims are being dumped on its market.
Canada had blocked Taiwan's initial request for WTO's Dispute Settlement Body
to create a panel to rule on the dispute, but with its second request, the
panel was automatically set up in accordance with WTO rules.
The WTO, which polices global trade accords in an effort to ensure a level
playing field for its member economies, also automatically accepted Canada's
second request to create a panel to settle a dispute with China.
Canada maintains that China is breaking WTO rules by imposing punitive tariffs
on bleached wood pulp.
Wood pulp, also called dissolving pulp, is typically spun into textile fibres
or films.
Last month, Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast announced the country's first panel
request, slamming "China's imposition of discriminatory anti-dumping
measures on Canadian dissolving pulp."
He insisted that an investigation by China to determine whether Canada sells
the forestry product at slashed prices was flawed, and that the Asian giant's
bid to restrict Canadian imports was therefore unwarranted.
Once created, WTO's panels of independent trade and legal experts usually take
several months to render their decisions.
They can authorise retaliatory trade measures if they rule in favour of a
plaintiff.
