The US has moved to challenge China’s claims of compliance in a WTO dispute ( DS427 ) over duties on imported chicken, bringing the nearly five-year dispute to its next stage. The decision, announced on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), re-ignites a dispute which has otherwise been quiet for nearly two years, and initially began in September 2011. It also marks only the second time that China’s compliance with a WTO ruling has been under formal challenge. “Today’s action holds China accountable for unfair taxes they are imposing on American exports of broiler chicken products,” said US Trade Representative Michael Froman in a press statement. Along with claiming that these go against global trade rules, the Washington official said that these duties continue to make it harder for US poultry farmers to compete fairly. “Re-investigation” findings under question At issue in the original case were anti-dumping and countervailing duties which China had applied on imported “broiler chicken” products from the US, which include any chicken products except for live, cooked, or canned chicken. The US is the top global producer of poultry, while exporting nearly 18 percent of such goods. According to US government statistics,...
