Provoking Trade Disputes Hinders Global Economic Recovery.docVIP

Provoking Trade Disputes Hinders Global Economic Recovery 　　The United States refused the reappointment of Seung Wha Chang， a South Korean judge， for his second four-yearterm at the World Trade Organization （WTO） appellate body last month. （Note： The WTO appellate body is a standing body of seven persons that hears appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes brought by WTO members.） 　　The United States said it was troubled by four recent panel decisions that Chang was involved in because they “raised systemic concerns about the disregard for the proper role of the appellate body and the WTO dispute settlement system，” according to Bloomberg BNA. 　　The European Union （EU） and some legal experts said the U.S. decision posed a serious threat to the independence and impartiality of the appellate body. 　　Statistics show that India launched the largest number of anti-dumping cases worldwide between 1995 and 2015. Of the 4，990 cases， India made 767 appeals， accounting for 15 percent of the total. In the same period， the United States and the EU launched 570 and 480 respectively. 　　As an emerging market， India’s antidumping measures are an act of self-defense. However， as global trade powerhouses， the United States and the EU are suspected of trade protectionism through the manipulation of WTO rules in setting anti-dumping measures. Moreover， China is the primary target of disputes initiated by the United States and the EU， with many anti-dumping investigations into Chinese tires， copper plate paper， solar power panels， chicken and steel products. 　　The United States and the EU said that Chinese iron and steel companies are selling products below market prices owing to government subsidies. At the recently concluded G7 Summit in Japan， concerns were raised about the overcapacity of China’s steel industry. Compared to the EU， the United States takes a tougher stance in trade disputes with China， given that EU members must reach agreement prior to imposing ant