US files WTO dispute against China on auto subsidies

GENEVA -- The United States brought a case against China to the World Trade Organization Monday on the latter's subsidies to the automobile industry, the WTO said.

The US requested for consultations with China on its "measures providing subsidies such as grants, loans, forgone government revenue, the provision of goods and services and other incentives contingent upon export performance to automobile and automobile-parts enterprises in China," according to the WTO Secretariat.

China's permanent mission to the WTO confirmed it received the request. The industry policies in more than 10 provinces, several export bases and 157 regulatory documents are involved in the dispute, according to the Chinese mission.

At the same time, the US notified the WTO of a request to be made at the next meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body for the establishment of a panel to examine China's measures imposing anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties on certain automobiles from the US.

The US filed the dispute on July 9, for which consultations between the two parties were not successful.