WTO: EU files case against Russia on vehicles import duties

The European Union (EU) requested consultations on Wednesday with Russia in the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the latter's anti-dumping duties imposed on light commercial vehicles (LCVs) from Germany and Italy, said the world trade watchdog. EU alleged that anti-dumping duties of 23 percent to 29.6 percent imposed on European LCVs were significantly hampering access to the Russian market, and the trade restrictions were incompatible with WTO law, both on procedural and on substantive grounds. Under the EU's claims, the measures taken by Russia were inconsistent with Russia's obligations under various articles of the GATT 1994 and the Anti-Dumping Agreement, said WTO. The Eurasian Economic Commission imposed anti-dumping duties on May 14 last year on imports of light commercial vehicles from Germany, Italy and Turkey, and the decision covered the territory of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. As Belarus and Kazakhstan are not WTO members, the EU's request for consultations was addressed to Russia only. EU statistics showed that in 2012 EU LCVs exports to Russia were worth more than 100 million euros, but the 28-member bloc said that exports have been decreasing since Russia imposed a "recycling fee" in September 2012 on motor vehicles, and the anti-dumping measures concerned in this dispute have exerted a further negative effect on EU exports of LCVs. This is the fourth case filed against Russia since it acceded to the WTO on Aug. 22, 2012. The first two cases, related to the recycling fee on motor vehicles, were filed respectively by the EU and Japan in July 2013, and the third was filed in April 2014 by the EU, concerning Russia's measures on the imports of EU live pigs and their genetic materials and products. Request for consultations is the first step in a dispute at the Dispute Settlement System of the WTO. Response to the request has to be given within 10 days and the member requested shall enter into consultations within a maximum of 30 days after the date of the receipt of the request. The maximum period of consultations is 60 days after the reception of the request, unless both parties agree otherwise. If consultations fail to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel, according to the WTO.