South Korea has asked the World Trade Organization for permission to impose annual trade sanctions on the United States. The sanctions, worth some 700-million US dollars, arose because US had failed to meet a December 26 deadline to comply with a ruling against duties of up to 82 percent on washing machines. The demand adds to a growing list of reproaches of US trade policy. This past week saw Vietnam complain about US tariffs, and India reopen a trade dispute with the US, after Washington failed to comply with a ruling on solar power.