路透渥太华1月6日电—加拿大贸易部长斯托克韦尔-戴周三表示，加拿大将参与多国向世界贸易组织(WTO)起诉中国限制部分原材料出口一案。
戴表示，加拿大认为中国的出口限令和配额“将导致世界市场的贸易扭曲”。他说:“这种措施已经给加拿大生产者带来了不确定性，我们希望此次向WTO的申诉能让中国结束这种做法。”
应美国、欧盟和墨西哥的要求，WTO于12月21日建立了一个负责解决该争端的小组。这些国家认为，中国限制部分原材料出口的做法是不公平的，因为那让中国国内企业占据能以较低价格买入原材料的优势。
这些原材料包括铝矾土、焦炭、氟石、镁、锰、金刚砂、金属硅、黄磷和锌。
戴的办公室发表声明称:“(中国的)上述做法违反了有关出口限制的规定，以及中国在加入世贸组织时做出的不对大多数原材料徵收出口关税的承诺。”
与多个拉美、亚洲和欧洲国家一样,加拿大以第三方身份参与这桩诉讼案。
Canada Joins WTO Panel on Chinese Export Restrictions
January 6, 2010 – The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today announced that Canada will participate as a third party in a World Trade Organization panel on China’s export restrictions on certain raw materials. The panel was established at the request of the United States, the European Union and Mexico on December 21, 2009.
“Canada is concerned that China’s export restraints, such as export duties and quotas, are leading to trade distortions in the world market,” said Minister Day. “Such measures have caused uncertainty for Canadian producers. We hope that this WTO challenge will persuade China to end these practices.”
The raw materials at issue are bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorus and zinc.
Canada believes that the Chinese measures are inconsistent with China’s WTO commitments. The measures appear to violate rules on export restraints, as well as the commitment China made when it joined the WTO to not charge export tariffs on most materials.
As a third party, Canada will have the opportunity to present its views to the WTO panel and to make written submissions that will be reflected in the panel report. The Government of Canada will continue to work with industry to ensure Canadian interests are fully taken into account.
At this point, there are 12 other confirmed third-party participants in the WTO panel, namely Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Norway, Chinese Taipei and Turkey.
The timeline for the dispute settlement process, meetings and reports has not yet been finalized.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Mélisa Leclerc
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
613-992-6186
Trade Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-996-2000
