The World Trade Organization's published agenda for the Dispute Settlement Body's March 31 meeting includes 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.
The Japanese Cabinet on March 10 greenlighted that nation's participation in the World Trade Organization's multiparty interim appeal arbitration (MPIA) agreement -- an alternative to the trade body's defunct Appellate Body (see 2303010026). The MPIA was initiated in April 2020 as a response to U.S. blocking the nomination process to the Appellate Body. The MPIA process released its first ruling in a dispute over Colombian antidumping duties on frozen fries from several EU countries (see 2212230025).
Japan initiated an expiry review of its antidumping duties on electrolytic manganese dioxide from China, the Ministry of Finance announced in a March 8 notice. Finance, along with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, launched the review after receiving a petition from Tosoh Hyuga Corp. and Tosoh Corp. The review will take one year during which the ministries will make a decision on whether to extend the duties, currently ranging from 34.3% to 46.5%, based on the likelihood of dumping recurring if the duty orders expire.
The World Trade Organization's multiparty interim appeal arbitration arrangement (MPIA), an alternative to the defunct Appellate Body, proved to be "operational" after it ensured the right of parties in an antidumping duties dispute to appeal dispute panel reports and to receive a "final, binding ruling, without loopholes to block the process," Geneva Graduate Institute law professor Joost Pauwelyn said in a Feb. 27 blog post. Pauwelyn said MPIA led to the resolution of a recent dispute on frozen fries "without blockage," which preserved “the system's 'binding character and two levels of adjudication.'"
The U.K. extended by five years its antidumping duty on high fatigue performance steel concrete reinforcement bar from China, the Department for International Trade announced March 1. The duties will be extended until July 30, 2026, and the U.K. will maintain the duty rates previously imposed on the steel concrete rebar, which range 18.4% to 22.5%. Non-examined companies receive the 22.5% rate.
On the World Trade Organization's published agenda for the Dispute Settlement Body's Feb. 27 meeting are: 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.
Canada and Peru recently announced antidumping duty actions and decisions on certain products from mainland China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Feb. 9.
The U.S. expressed some positive views on the first decision of the World Trade Organization's multiparty interim appeal arbitration arrangement (MPIA) concerning Colombia's antidumping duties on frozen fries from various EU countries. Speaking during the Dispute Settlement Body's Jan. 27 meeting, the U.S. said it welcomes the MPIA's "willingness to adopt an interpretation" it sees as consistent with the Anti-Dumping Agreement, "even and especially if the interpretation differs from the Appellate Body's erroneous views."
The U.K. extended its antidumping and countervailing duties on continuous filament glass fiber rovings and chopped strands from China, in Jan. 31 notices to put into effect the Trade Remedies Authority's recommendation. The antidumping duties on the goods were extended to run April 26, 2022, to Jan. 30, 2026, and range from 14.5% to 19.9%. The countervailing duties were extended to run Jan. 30, 2021, to Jan. 30, 2026, and range from 4.9% to 10.3%.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in a Jan. 31 notice extended the taxable period of antidumping duties on polyethylene terephthalate with a high degree of polymerization from China for another five years, until Feb. 2, 2028. The 39.8% to 53% duties were initially imposed for the Dec. 28, 2017, to Dec. 27, 2022, period.