The World Trade Organization (WTO) has stated that its members expressed concern over the US’ imposition of higher tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and the impact they may have on the global trading system at a meeting of the Council on Trade in Goods on March 23, the same day the new US measure came into effect. The US responded by saying that the tariffs are necessary to address the threat these imports pose to national security.
According to the WTO’s statement, during the meeting China stated that the US measure is inconsistent with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the WTO Agreement on Safeguards, and called on the US to refrain from taking unilateral measures, follow WTO rules and uphold the multilateral trading system.
Meanwhile, at the meeting, Russia said the new tariffs exceed the bound rates the US had committed to under WTO rules. It further noted that several WTO members would be exempted from the new US measure and sought further clarification on this exemption and how the measure can be justified under WTO rules, adding that it is looking forward to constructive dialogue with the US.
The WTO stated that the other members who took the floor to raise issue with the new US measure and call for the upholding of the multilateral trading system were Japan, Venezuela, Brazil, New Zealand, Turkey, South Korea, China (including Hong Kong), Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Norway, Australia, India, El Salvador, Switzerland, Paraguay, Guatemala and Kazakhstan.