China hails WTO ruling against EU duties

Xinhua, July 17, 2011

The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Saturday welcomed the World Trade Organization ruling that the European Union (EU) is illegally taxing Chinese steel fasteners.

It is of great significance and will help Chinese enterprises enjoy better competitive conditions in the international market including the EU, said an unidentified official of the MOC Treaty and Law Department in a statement on its website.

"This is not only a victory for Chinese industry but for the WTO rules as well," the official said.

The ruling has reinforced the confidence of WTO members in the WTO rules and the multilateral trading system, the official said.

The ruling from the WTO's appellate body on Friday said the EU isn't complying with international commerce rules by imposing anti-dumping duties on the fasteners from China.

The WTO ruled the EU's single duty requirements and practices are discriminatory and violated WTO rules.

It said the EU isn't calculating them fairly as it takes China as a single exporter, instead of treating the companies individually.

For a long time, the EU has been requiring Chinese exporters to prove they meet with the "single duty" requirements in responding to anti-dumping cases.