EU takes US to WTO over metal tariffs

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Europe

The European Union on Friday has filed a case against the United States over steel and aluminum tariffs announced by Washington, a first step in the WTO dispute settlement process, a World Trade Organization official confirmed.

“The WTO Secretariat has received the EU request for dispute settlement consultations on the US Section 232 measures,” said the official, adding that the text would only be made public once it was circulated to all WTO member states.

Earlier, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom announced the bloc would take the United States to the WTO to challenge the legality of the new tariffs, saying negotiations with Washington were not currently possible.

On Thursday US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross confirmed the 25 percent steel tariffs and 10 percent aluminum tariffs against its major allies European Union, Canada and Mexico, with the new charges set to take effect at midnight on Thursday.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the move is "protectionism," "pure and simple."

Meanwhile, the EU also complained to the WTO about China's technology-transfer practices.

“We are challenging today both the US and China at the WTO and it demonstrates that we are not choosing any sides,” Cecilia Malmstrom told reporters on Friday in Brussels. “We stand for the multilateral system, for rules-based global trade.”

(With input from Reuters)