Firms urged to steel themselves for fight against trade barriers
( 2002-04-09 09:37) (1)
Chinese companies and industrial associations should take advantage of the World Trade Organization dispute-resolution mechanism to fight trade discrimination on the world market, foreign-trade experts said on Monday.
An expert with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Co-operation, a think tank of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (MOFTEC), said: "Companies should seriously consider whether they should ask the government to start the WTO dispute-resolution mechanism when being unfairly charged of dumping or confronted with other forms of trade protectionism."
The expert, who declined to be named, said the mechanism could redress some trade discrimination against China and help Chinese companies regain access to potential markets.
Since it joined the WTO last December, China has resorted to the body's dispute-resolution mechanism in only one case: the United States' controversial imposition of tariffs of up to 30 per cent on steel imports.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, another MOFTEC official told China Daily, "Chinese steel firms, the Chinese Association of Iron and Steel Industries and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for Importers and Exporters of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals have done a great deal in mobilizing China's complaint to the WTO on the US tariffs."
She said the steel firms have asked the Chinese Government to bring a complaint, either directly to the government or through the association and the chamber of commerce. The official stressed that the tariffs would do severe damage to Chinese industries and could even block China's steel exports by triggering a new round of global trade protectionism.
"If domestic industries say they have been hurt by some foreign governments' measures, the Chinese Government will certainly take it upon itself to negotiate with the foreign governments or take other possible countermeasures including the WTO dispute-resolution mechanism to help them," she said.
But the trade academy expert said that, because China is a new member of the WTO, many Chinese companies are unaware of the WTO dispute-resolution mechanism.
The expert also criticized some firms for simply giving up the fight against unfair trade treatment in some countries and turning to explore other markets.
WTO statistics show China has become the largest victim of the use of anti-dumping measures, with Chinese companies involved in over 430 cases.
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