China requested dispute consultations at the World Trade Organization regarding Canada's tariff rate quotas on certain steel goods from non-free trade agreement partners, including China, and Canada's surtax on certain steel and aluminum goods that contain China-origin steel or aluminum.
A dispute panel at the World Trade Organization on Aug. 22 found that the European Commission violated its WTO commitments in imposing countervailing duties on biodiesel from Indonesia. The panel found that the commission erred in finding that the Indonesian government provides a countervailable subsidy to biodiesel producers via the provision of crude palm oil and in concluding that Indonesian biodiesel imports "cause a threat of material injury to EU biodiesel producers."
The EU will buy at least $40 billion worth of advanced American AI chips, will strengthen cooperation on export controls and investment screening, and will eliminate tariffs on U.S. industrial and other goods, the two sides said as part of a trade framework announced this week. The EU also committed to "substantially” increase purchases of U.S. defense equipment and said it will work to limit adverse effects of new supply chain due diligence rules and carbon border taxes on U.S. exporters.
China this week extended its countervailing duty investigation on imported dairy from the EU "in view of the complexity of this case," the country's Ministry of Commerce said, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry opened the probe last year (see 2408210025) and had hoped to complete it by August, but it's now extending the investigation through February. The EU filed a dispute consultation request on the CVD probe at the World Trade Organization (see 2409250010).
Brazil requested dispute consultations with the U.S. at the World Trade Organization on Aug. 11 regarding the 50% tariffs that President Donald Trump recently imposed on Brazilian goods. Brazil said the measures are inconsistent with U.S. obligations under Articles I and II of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and Articles 23.1 and 23.2 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU).
South Africa launched a safeguard investigation July 25 on flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, the nation told the World Trade Organization's Committee on Safeguards July 30. South Africa said interested parties must "make themselves known" within 20 days of July 25 and submit any information they wish by that date.
In a joint statement, the U.S. and Indonesia said Indonesia will accept FDA certificates and prior marketing authorization for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, will exempt U.S. exports of cosmetics and medical devices "from certain requirements," and will exempt U.S. companies from local content requirements.
The World Trade Organization's published its agenda for the Dispute Settlement Body's July 25 meeting. The meeting will feature U.S. status reports on the implementation of DSB recommendations on: antidumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from Japan; antidumping and countervailing measures on large residential washers from South Korea; certain methodologies and their application to antidumping proceedings involving China; and Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act. Status reports also are expected from Indonesia on measures related to the import of horticultural products, animals and animal products, and from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products and on certain measures concerning palm oil and oil palm crop-based biofuels.
Arbitrators issued an award in the EU's dispute on China's enforcement of intellectual property rights under the World Trade Organization's Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA). The arbitrators said that the EU showed that China has an anti-suit injunction policy for its courts and that parts of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) aren't confined to ensuring a patent owner's exclusive rights in each member's domestic legal system.
The U.K. is looking to strengthen its export controls and broader trade defense “toolkit” to better guard against economic threats by third countries, the country said in its 100-page trade strategy released last week.