U.S. Takes WTO Proceeding Against China to Next Step
The United States has requested that the World Trade Organization (WTO) establish a dispute settlement panel, the next step in its WTO case challenging China’s laws for protecting and enforcing copyrights and trademarks. The request will be considered by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body at its next meeting on August 31. In an August 13 statement announcing the request, a U.S. Trade Representative spokesperson explained the U.S. action:
“The United States and China have tried, through formal consultations over the last three months, to resolve differences arising from U.S. concerns about inadequate protection of intellectual property rights in China. That dialogue has not generated solutions to the issues we have raised, so we are asking the WTO to form a panel to settle this dispute....It is in the best interest of all nations, including China, to protect intellectual property rights. Over the past several years China has taken tangible steps to improve IPR protection and enforcement. However, we still see important gaps that need to be addressed. We will pursue this legal dispute in the WTO and will continue to work with China bilaterally on other important IPR issues.”
The U.S. requested WTO dispute settlement consultations with China in April. The U.S. and China engaged in consultations in early June. According to the USTR, China has not taken steps to address the U.S.'s concerns during this period.