China will seek WTO permission to sanction America amid Trump's trade war


Beijing on Monday promised unspecified "countermeasures" if President Trump continues to escalate his trade war with China, and a Tuesday publication of a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting agenda indicated what some of them might be. China is planning to ask the WTO for permission to sanction the U.S. for imposing tariffs that violate a 2016 WTO ruling.
The type of tariff in question is called a "dumping duty," and it is being imposed on imported Chinese goods the Commerce Department says are priced below U.S. market value. At issue is how these tariffs are calculated: The U.S. uses a method called "zeroing," and China says it is illegal under the 2016 decision.
While the timing of this revelation suggests retaliation against Trump's tariff hikes — and the sanctions in practice will likely function as a rebuke of Trump — China has objected to U.S. dumping duties for years. The 2016 decision, which was confirmed on appeal in 2017, was the result of a dispute launched in 2013, well before Trump took office. This new action is specifically prompted by the administration's failure to meet an Aug. 22 deadline to change its calculation procedures to comply with the WTO rules.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
The history of animal metaphors in propaganda
The Explainer Rats, snakes and cockroaches among the imagery used to dehumanise political enemies and minority groups
-
How do new stadiums affect football clubs?
In the Spotlight Everton's decision to move its men's team out of Goodison Park could be a catalyst for vital change, but there are cautionary tales too
-
Quiz of The Week: 10 – 16 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling