China set to ask WTO for permission to impose sanctions on US

The Asian nation initiated the dispute in 2013, complaining about U.S. dumping duties related to several industries including machinery and electronics, light industry, metals and minerals — with an annual export value of up to $8.4 billion.

The case concerns the U.S. Commerce Department’s process of calculating the amount of “dumping,” which refers to Chinese exports that are priced to undercut American-made goods on the U.S. market.

The U.S. calculating method was found to have been illegal in a string of trade disputes brought to the global trade regulator over recent years. Trump has since warned the world’s largest economy could soon withdraw from the WTO if “they don’t shape up.”

It follows a separate WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting late last month, with China claiming U.S. tariffs targeting $16 billion worth of Chinese imports are inconsistent with the regulator’s rules.

China’s WTO request was seen as impacting sentiment across global markets on Tuesday morning. U.S. stock index futures pulled back on the news, with the Dow indicating a negative open of more than 60 points at around 6:35 a.m. ET.

European markets also erased earlier gains Tuesday, after a further escalation in the Sino-U.S. trade dispute haunted investors. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down around 0.3 percent during late-morning deals.

— Reuters contributed to this report.

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