US to Request WTO Panels Over Chinese Export Subsidies, Indonesian Import Regs

The U.S. delegation to the World Trade Organization plans to request the establishment of an adjudication panel over the U.S. challenge to wide-ranging Chinese export subsidies under a program called the "Demonstration Bases-Common Service Platform." The U.S. asked for consultations with China on the subsidies in February, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative set an April 15 deadline for stakeholder comments (see 1503260007). The subsidy program has paved the way for free Chinese government services, including cash grants and other measures, in the shrimp, textile and other industries, the U.S. alleges (see 1502110022). The U.S. aims to request the panel at the next Dispute Settlement Body meeting on April 22, USTR said in a statement (here). At that same DSB meeting, the U.S. and New Zealand plan to ask for an adjudication panel in an ongoing dispute with Indonesia over import restrictions, such as discriminatory pre-shipment inspection requirements and other barriers, USTR said in the statement. The WTO established its first panel in that case in mid-2013 (see 14050930).