China lodges case at WTO against US import duties

  1. China has lodged a case against the United States with the World Trade Organization(WTO) over U.S. import duties.
  2. The move was taken after the United States began imposing 15% tariffs on a variety of Chinese goods, including footwear, smart watches, and flat-panel televisions.
  3. China has said that the latest tariff actions by US has violated the consensus reached by the leaders of China and the United States in a meeting in Osaka,Japan.
  4. However,the United States has said that it has adopted tariff measures to try to obtain the elimination of China’s unfair and disruptive technology transfer policies.
  5. The US has also said that its actions were exempt from WTO rules because they were measures necessary to protect public morals which is a clause used in the past to argue for trade restrictions over gambling, animal rights and public broadcasting.