US files WTO case against China over chicken tariffs

The U.S. announced Thursday that it is taking China to the World Trade Organization over tariffs China has slapped on U.S. chicken exports.

The Chinese anti-dumping and countervailing duties have reduced chicken exports by nearly 90 percent since last fall, the U.S. said.

“The United States will not stand idly by while China appears to have misused its trade remedy laws and put American jobs at risk,” said United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

The U.S. this week requested the WTO form a special panel to look into the Chinese tariffs. This is the second step in the dispute settlement process. Mandatory talks were held first in October but failed to produce results.

The U.S. alleges that China did not follow anti-dumping procedures outlined in the WTO Antidumping Agreement. It says China did not show its own industry was injured by dumping, and that it improperly calculated how much U.S. chicken sold in China is sold below fair market value.

China is imposing 50.3 percent to 105.4 percent anti-dumping duties and 4 percent to 30 percent countervailing duties on U.S. chicken.