WTO issues panel report regarding Russian duties on vehicle imports from Germany and Italy
The World Trade Organization has ruled in favour of the European Union after launching a challenge in May 2014 against Russian anti-dumping duties on German and Italian light commercial vehicles. But the panel of WTO adjudicators threw out many of the EU’s arguments. Russia had imposed duties of 29.6 percent on German van imports and 23 percent of imports from Italy in 2013, claiming they were unfairly priced to undermine Russian producers. The case was one of a string of apparently tit-for-tat legal moves between the EU and Russia soon after Russia joined the WTO in 2012.
Friday’s ruling, which can be appealed by either side, may help shape Russia’s use of anti-dumping duties or EU attempts to counter them, actions that show no sign of slowing down. European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the WTO had made a very clear ruling against an unfair, protectionist and anti-competitive measure. “The duties on light commercial vehicles are not in line with commitments by Russia at the time it joined the WTO. Those measures now have to be removed,” she said in a statement.
Source: www.wto.org/english/news
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