To improve the local ecological environment, the Chinese Government began to take restrictive measures in 2009, intensifying control over the exploitation, processing and export of rare earth. This regulation on rare earth triggered groundless opposition from the United States, the European Union and Japan.
On March 13, the trio lodged a joint complaint to the WTO, accusing China of breaking WTO rules on rare earth exports.
The WTO on July 23 established a panel to consider China's exports of rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum following complaints brought by the United States, the EU and Japan over China's export restrictions of those materials.
On July 27, the three turned to the WTO's dispute-settlement system to have an expert panel investigate the issue. They said China's exports controls, including export quotas and export tariffs, unfairly favor China's domestic manufacturers. |