US appeals WTO ruling in dispute with Canada
AFP
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US President Donald Trump (L) welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on June 20, 2019.(Photo: Xinhua)

The US said Monday it had appealed a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that favored Canada in a long-standing battle over lumber imports, describing the decision as "deeply flawed."

Ottawa said it was "disappointed" by the US move, its trade minister Mary Ng saying in a statement that the US duties have caused "unjustified harm" to Canada's forestry sector and US consumers, and "are impeding economic recovery on both sides of the border."

The WTO's dispute settlement body (DSB) - long a target of attacks by Washington - agreed in August with Canada's complaints that Washington had violated trade rules when imposing duties on lumber widely used in construction.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had immediately slammed the decision as "erroneous" and said they "prevent the United States from taking legitimate action in response to Canada's pervasive subsidies for its softwood lumber industry."

On Monday, the US notified the body of its decision to appeal the panel report, according to a written version of comments made at a DSB meeting.

Filing an appeal before the WTO is tricky, however. The DSB's appellate branch, some- times called the supreme court of world trade, stopped functioning in December 2019 after years of relentless US opposition.

Washington accuses the court of major overreach and has blocked appointments of new judges, leaving it without the quorum needed to hear cases.