China initiates dispute complaints against US solar cell duties, renewable energy measures

China has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States regarding US safeguard duties imposed on imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic products.

China has also requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States regarding measures at the state and municipal level that provide incentives for the use of domestically sourced renewable energy products and technologies. The two requests were circulated to WTO members on 16 August.

China claims that the safeguard measure on solar cells is inconsistent with a number of provisions of the WTO’s Agreement on Safeguards and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994, while China claims the incentive measures for renewable energy are inconsistent with provisions under the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) and the GATT 1994.

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What is a request for consultations?

The request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations have failed to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.

Source: wto.org