back to topDS248:
United States — Definitive safeguard measures on imports of certain steel
products
The
EC requested for the second time the establishment of a panel. The EC said
that many other members also questioned the compatibility of the US action
with WTO requirements: Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland, Norway, New
Zealand and Brazil. The EC said that all members raised similar points,
including lack of increased imports, absence of injury, flawed causal link
between imports and injury, disproportionate remedy and violation of
parallelism requirement.
The
US said that it regretted the EC's challenge and that US measures were
fully consistent with the Safeguards Agreement and GATT 1994.
The
DSB agreed to establish a panel. Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Switzerland,
Norway, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Canada and China requested to be third
parties. Malaysia said it was keeping its options open.
DS249
& DS251:
United States — Definitive safeguard measures on imports of certain
steel products
The
DSB examined Japan and Korea's first requests for the establishment of
panel at the same time.
Japan
said that the US safeguard measures clearly violated the WTO Agreement. It
said that the consultations in April did not result in a satisfactory
solution and therefore Japan was requesting a panel.
Korea
said that after the US Government had announced its decision to take
safeguard measures on steel in early March, there had been an outpour of
protests. Korea repeated that the US action was leading to a spiral of
protectionist measures and that the situation might easily get out of
control and escalate into cross retaliations by major members on a level
that had never before been witnessed in the history of the WTO. Korea
added that it was worried about the ramifications of the US measures on
the on-going Doha Development Agenda negotiations.
The
US regretted Japan's and Korea's challenge to the US safeguard measures
and said they were not in a position to accept the establishment of a
panel.
Japan
said that it would immediately request a special meeting of the DSB on 14
June to consider their second request.
Norway
said they would circulate a request for a panel to be considered on 14
June.
Switzerland
said they would do the same.
The
EC said that they regretted the US' delaying tactics which meant that they
had to keep on asking for additional meetings of the DSB.
China
reminded the members that they had asked for a special meeting on 7 June
to consider its first request for a panel.
DS245:
Japan — Measures affecting the importation of apples
The US requested for the second time a panel to examine Japan's
phytosanitary measures applied to US apples.
The US said that the Japanese measures lacked the scientific basis
required under the WTO agreements and that they were not legitimate
phytosanitary measures. The US added that they had provided Japan with
ample information demonstrating that mature, symptomless apples did not
pose a risk for the fire blight.
Japan said that they had repeatedly expressed their willingness to
consider the possibility of amending their phytosanitary measures if the
US provided more information. Japan said that the US had never provided
additional information but rather had unilaterally terminated bilateral
consultations.
The DSB established a panel. The EU, Australia and Brazil requested to
be third parties.
Request
for suspension of concessions back to top
DS222:
Canada — Export credits and loan guarantees for regional aircraft
Following a bilateral agreement signed on 1 June 2002, Brazil and
Canada requested the DSB to defer consideration of this agenda item and
revert to it at its next regular meeting on 24 June 2002. Brazil and
Canada said they needed additional time to consider how to proceed with
this dispute, particularly with regard to the sequence of Articles 21
(review of implementation) and 22 (suspension of concessions).
