U.S. files appeal against World Trade Organization panel report that found in favor of China

On April 27, the U.S. filed an appeal against a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel report that found in favor of China on an issue dating back to 2012. The complaint was started by China, which “requested consultations with the United States concerning the imposition of countervailing duty measures by the United States on certain products from China,” according to the WTO summary of the issue. China alleged the U.S. actions “were inconsistent with” its obligations under the WTO. A panel was created to review the complex issue and eventually ruled in 2014. China and the U.S. both appealed the decisions that did not run in their favor and the additional issue of what constitutes a “reasonable period of time” for the implementation of WTO-proposed changes related to the case. In 2015, a reasonable period of time was defined as 14 months and 16 days. In 2016, just following the expiration of that reasonable period of time, China alleged the U.S. had failed to fully implement the WTO’s recommendations and requested a compliance panel be created. The panel was created and issued its report in late 2017. This most recent action was appealing that report. The appeal claims that several of the compliance panel’s findings were “based on erroneous findings on issues of law and legal interpretations,” many of these turning on specific wordings. — WLJ