Japan to File Complaint at WTO on U.S. Steel Tariff

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, March 09, 2002

Japan to File Complaint at WTO on U.S. Steel Tariff

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The Japanese government plans to file an official complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the U.S. decision to levy hefty tariffs on steel imports from its trading partners, Japan's Kyodo News reported on Saturday.

Japan believes the U.S. move contravenes WTO rules on condition that there has not been a surge of steel imports into the U.S., a precondition for invoking WTO "safeguard" rules, Kyodo said, quoting Japanese government officials.

The European Union lodged a complaint with the WTO on Thursday, and other countries, such as Australia, Brazil and South Korea, are considering similar action.

Japan has already asked Washington to hold bilateral talks on the safeguard decision, including a discussion of possible compensation in line with WTO guidelines.

While the European Union is considering retaliatory measures against the U.S., Japan is likely to withhold any reprisal in view of the different patterns of steel trade, according to Kyodo.

A large segment of Japanese steel products may be excluded from the U.S. safeguard tariffs, particularly high value-added products such as extra-thin cold-rolled steel for use in the automobile industry, Kyodo said.

U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday said his administration will impose up to 30 percent in "safeguard" tariffs over a three-year period on a broad range of steel imports in a bid to rescue the struggling U.S. steel industry.

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