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China blocks WTO panel request on raw materials curbs

BEIJING: China said Friday it had exercised its right to block a US-led request for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to set up a panel to rule on Chinese export curbs on certain raw materials.

“We do not think the export measures China took violated WTO rules,” an official with the Chinese commerce ministry, who declined to be named, told AFP. “It was a legitimate right (to reject the requests for the panel),” the official said.

The United States, joined by the European Union and Mexico, on November 5 asked the WTO to set up a dispute settlement panel to rule on the restrictions.

At a meeting of the WTO’s dispute settlement body Thursday, the Chinese delegation said it was “not in a position to agree to the establishment of a panel at this time”, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

According to US officials, China imposes quotas on exports of some materials and slaps export duties on several others. afp

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