Resumen de WTO condemns China's rare earths export restrictions
The WTO dispute resolution panel said that China's quotas were "designed to achieve industrial policy goals rather than conservation [of natural resources]" and were inconsistent with the rules established by the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) in 1994, also acknowledged by China.
The WTO's verdict was welcomed by the US, the EU and Japan, which complained about China's rare earths exports restrictions in 2012, following a surge in rare earths prices in 2011 as a consequence of the Chinese quotas.
"Regardless of the appeal's outcome, China's policy objectives to protect the environment and natural resources will not change," [Shen Danyang] added.
