China Filed an Appeal against the US Bus and Light Truck Tire Cases

On May 24th, 2011, China submitted an appeal to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body on the report of the US panel of experts on issues related to the import of Chinese passenger car and light truck tires (DS399).

On December 13, 2010, the panel issued a ruling that the United States did not violate the provisions of paragraph 16 of the Protocol to the WTO on the implementation of transitional safeguard measures for tires imported from China on September 26, 2009. The obligations under Articles 1.1 and 2.1 of the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The expert group also believes that the US laws and regulations themselves are not illegal when implementing the criterion for causation.

On September 14, 2009, China filed an application for consultation with the WTO Dispute Settlement Body regarding the United States’ increasing tariff measures on passenger cars and light truck tires imported from China. The EU, Japan, China Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam participated in the case as third parties. The relevant articles involved in the Chinese lawsuit application include: Articles 16.6, 16.1, 16.3, and 16.4 of the "People's Republic of China Accession Protocol," and Articles 1.1, 2 and 19 of the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.