China faces WTO beef over export curbs on material to make E
THE European Union took China to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the third time over the country's export restrictions on raw materials, reports Bloomberg News.
The EU seeks formal consultations with China under the WTO's dispute-settlement procedure. If they fail to reach an agreement in 60 days, the WTO may rule on the legality of Chinese restrictions.
Europe seeks to ensure a sufficient supply of inputs for goods ranging from computers and mobile phones to steel and paper.
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, complained to the WTO about Chinese export duties and export quotas on 11 raw materials. They are graphite, cobalt, copper, lead, chromium, magnesia, talcum, tantalum, tin, antimony and indium.
"We cannot sit on our hands seeing our producers and consumers being hit by unfair trading practices. These measures are against international trade rules," said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem.
China has suffered two WTO defeats, it having ruled in 2012 against Chinese export restrictions on nine other raw materials - bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorus and zinc - and in 2014 against similar curbs on rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum.
China's total annual exports of the raw materials covered by the latest case average around EUR1.2 billion (US$1.3 billion), one-sixth of which goes to Europe.
If China removed export duties on these goods, the EU would gain additional supplies worth about EUR19 million, according to the European Commission.
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