WTO

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

IfW event on Lithuania dispute: The WTO is the right way
Appealing to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is the EU’s correct response to the dispute with China over Lithuania – but at the same time, the chances of a clear ruling are low. This is the conclusion of a discussion event in the Global China Conversations series at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy […] continue reading →
Patent protection: EU launches WTO legal action against China
The EU has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against China because the People’s Republic prevents EU companies from taking patent disputes to foreign courts. “China severely restricts EU companies with rights to key technologies, such as 3G, 4G, and 5G, from protecting these rights when their patents are used illegally or without […] continue reading →
‘Ursula von der Leyen bit off more than she could chew’
The EU Commission will present its long-awaited supply chain law on Wednesday – without an import ban on items produced with forced labor. The Chair of the Trade Committee in the European Parliament, Bernd Lange (SPD), is not happy about this. He now expects a separate EU law to ban such imports, which then simply has to be accepted by the Chinese. Lange speaks with Amelie Richter about the impact the supply chain law will have on trade with China. continue reading →
Trade dispute: Australia supports Lithuania
Australia and Lithuania have pledged mutual support against economic pressure from China. Australia has long been the most prominent example of how China uses economics and trade as political leverage, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said at a meeting with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne in Canberra on Wednesday. “Now Lithuania joins this exclusive club,” […] continue reading →
Lithuania trade dispute: China agrees to talks with EU
In the coming weeks, the European Union will begin talks with China over its alleged violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules concerning its trade blockade of Lithuania. Beijing has agreed to the consultation request submitted by Brussels to the WTO in Geneva last month, the South China Morning Post reported, citing EU sources. Talks […] continue reading →
Lithuania dispute: EU turns to the WTO
The European Union has initiated proceedings against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the trade blockade against Lithuania. Brussels submitted a request for consultation with China in Geneva on Thursday after concluding its investigation of the embargo, the EU Commission said. According to the statement, the EU has evidence that the People’s Republic […] continue reading →
WTO permits punitive tariffs against USA
China has scored another victory against the USA at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO authorized the People’s Republic to impose countervailing duties worth $645 million against certain US imports in a case that has been pending for a good decade. The background to the case is a complaint filed by China at the […] continue reading →
20 years of China’s WTO accession: Clinton’s big mistake
China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 was met with high hopes in the Western world. The integration of the emerging country into the multilateral organization was supposed to promote not only global prosperity, but also free entrepreneurial activity in China. These hopes were largely disappointed. Although prosperity has increased, China is still not a free market economy. continue reading →
IMF and World Bank – a venue for the China-US power struggle
Global institutions such as the IMF, the WTO, and the World Bank are increasingly shaped by the rivalry between China and the US. For Beijing, they are bulwarks of the West. China, therefore, wants to counteract by creating its own organizations. The Bulgarian IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva has apparently been caught in the crossfire. continue reading →