WTO

September 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke welcomes news that, effective today, China will remove the discriminatory taxes it has been imposing on imported auto parts. China had until September 1 to come into compliance with a WTO ruling that China’s auto policies were inconsistent with WTO rules.

The United States, along with Canada and the European Union, had welcomed that ruling. China’s Commerce Ministry and other government agencies announced action today abolishing the discriminatory taxes.    » read more »

Says China’s export quotas, taxes are illegal trade barriers that hurt U.S. manufacturing workers

Washington, D.C. (Jun. 23) -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today gave strong support for a new World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute filed by the United States and European Union, challenging China’s export restrictions on key raw materials and minerals used in manufacturing.

The U.S. and the EU have requested WTO consultations with the Chinese government regarding export restrictions placed on a variety of raw materials and minerals, including bauxite, coke, zinc, silicon metal, silicon carbide, fluorspar, yellow phosphorous, magnesium and manganese.    » read more »

June 23, 2009 -- Dearborn, MI—Today, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) made the following statement regarding the announcement that the U.S. has filed a World Trade Organization complaint against China for its export restraints on raw materials. The export restraints provide Chinese companies with an unfair competitive advantage over U.S. companies. Senator Stabenow has been leading the fight to hold accountable countries that practice unfair trade. Earlier this year, she introduced the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act of 2009 and is currently working on legislation that would expand our resources for trade enforcement.    » read more »

June 23, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The U.S. Trade Representative today formally launched a World Trade Organization (WTO) case to examine China’s raw material export restrictions. Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley applauded the move, which is necessary to end unfair trade practices that have distorted economic incentives and hurt American businesses:

“Despite previous pledges, American companies continue to find it nearly impossible to purchase raw materials such as tin and zinc from China. Export tariffs and low quotas block access to this market, which gives Chinese enterprises an unfair advantage that violates clearly established WTO guidelines.    » read more »

OPEC Operates Illegal Cartel Under International Trade Law

June 17, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, a coalition of eleven Senators led by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D – NJ) called on the Bush Administration to take action in the World Trade Organization (WTO) against eight Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) by ordering United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Susan Schwab to file a complaint with the WTO.

These eight countries, operating as an illegal cartel, have refused to increase production, reduced the supply of oil on the market and driven up the gas prices that consumers pay at the pump.    » read more »

Public Citizen Sues to Force U.S. Trade Office To Release Details of WTO Internet Gambling Deal

May 19, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bush administration is illegally withholding the details of its offer accepted by the European Union to bind more sectors of the U.S. economy to World Trade Organization (WTO) jurisdiction as part of a settlement relating to a WTO ruling against the U.S. ban on Internet gambling, Public Citizen contended today in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.    » read more »

New Public Citizen Report Identifies Changes to WTO, NAFTA Rules Needed to Facilitate Candidates’ Proposals on Health and Climate

Feb. 28, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Public Citizen today identified changes needed to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and the investment provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to implement a dozen of the presidential candidates’ key health and climate policy proposals.    » read more »

Administration Proposal to Bind Sensitive U.S. Storage, Postal Service Sectors to WTO as Compensation to EU in Gambling Case Must Obtain Congress’ OK

Dec. 17, 2007 -- Statement of Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch Division    » read more »

09 May 2007 -- The head of the World Trade Organization, Pascal Lamy, says nations are closing the gaps in negotiations aimed at concluding the Doha Development Round of global trade talks. But Lamy says they are moving too slowly to meet a self-imposed deadline for concluding a deal by the end of the year. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WTO headquarters in Geneva.

Pascal Lamy says he believes a successful outcome to the trade liberalization talks is possible by the end of the year. But the director general of the WTO will not say whether he believes a trade pact is a done deal.    » read more »

Under WTO Rules, U.S. Is Required to Negotiate Terms of Compensation With Other WTO Signatory Countries Before It Is Allowed to Withdraw Sector

May 4, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bush administration’s unprecedented decision that it will withdraw the U.S. gambling service sector from World Trade Organization (WTO) jurisdiction is good news for U.S. sovereignty, Public Citizen said today.    » read more »