International

Steel tariffs: Japan approaches WTO

TOKYO MARCH. 20 . Japan today lodged an official protest with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against a decision by Washington to slap new tariffs on steel imports, the trade ministry said. ``Today, we brought an action to the WTO against the U.S. decision,'' said an official from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

``We also notified the United States of our action,'' the official said. As a first step, Tokyo will hold consultations with Washington. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement, a dispute panel will be set up in the WTO.

``From now on, we will cooperate with Europe and other countries to argue by pointing out the problem with the U.S. measures,'' Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yasuo Fukuda, told a news conference.

``The U.S. measures do not meet what the WTO rules require,'' Mr. Fukuda said. ``We cannot ignore the measures, considering the importance of maintaining and strengthening the WTO regime.'' — AFP

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