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- April 2013
- Public Release of the "2013 Report on Compliance by Major Trading Partners with Trade Agreements - WTO, FTA/EPAs, and BITs" and "METI Priorities Based on the Report"
Public Release of the "2013 Report on Compliance by Major Trading Partners with Trade Agreements - WTO, FTA/EPAs, and BITs" and "METI Priorities Based on the Report"
Today, METI published the "METI Priorities" based on the "2013 Report on Compliance by Major Trading Partners with Trade Agreements" adopted by the Industrial Structure Council's Subcommittee on Unfair Trade Policies and Measures.
1. Background
(1) What is "Report on Compliance by Major Trading Partners with Trade Agreements"?
Since 1992, the report has annually been published with the aim to point out trade policies/measures of major trading partners that may not be consistent with international rules such as the WTO agreements, and urge them to improve such trade policies/measures.
The 2013 edition is the 22nd in this series, and was approved at the Subcommittee on Unfair Trade Policies and Measures under the Trade Policy Committee of the Industrial Structure Council (Chair: Kazunori Ishiguro, Professor at the University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics).
(2) What is "METI Priorities Based on the Report"?
METI has released its list of priority issues and future actions for them in the form of "METI Priorities Based on the Report" in conjunction with the Subcommittee's publication of the Report.
2．Overview of the 2013 Report
(1) It reports 146 policies/measures (17 countries/territories are covered)
(China: 35, ASEAN: 28, United States: 35, EU: 12, Others: 36)
(2) The 2013 Report newly addresses the following 10 policies/measures.
(The 2012 Report: 8 newly addressed policies/measures).
| China | Anti-dumping duty measures on Resorcinol from Japan |
|---|---|
| The regulation of new cosmetic ingredients | |
| Indonesia | Anti-dumping duty measures on cold-rolled steel sheets from Japan |
| Myanmar | Foreign Investment Restrictions |
| EU | Proposed new regulation on public procurement |
| Russia | Introduction of the Transport Vehicle Recycling Fee |
| The Copyright Levy Framework for private audio/audiovisual recordings | |
| India | Introduction of technical regulation on electronic and information technology devices |
| Mongolia | The Foreign Investment Restriction Act |
| Ukraine | Safeguard Measures against Automobiles |
(3) As features of the 2013 Report, the following columns are published
- Developments in multi-layered rule-makings on product regulations
- Practical tips for taking advantage of the TBT Agreement
- A revise of the U.S. Model Bilateral Investment Treaty
- Russia's accession to the WTO etc.
3．METI Priorities Based on the 2013 Report
In this fiscal year, METI puts priority on dealing with the following 14 policies/measures based on the 2013 Report.
(1) Issues for which Solutions Continue to be Sought by Various Means including Bilateral or Multilateral Consultations and the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism
| China | Correction of Inappropriate Regulation/Implementation of Anti-dumping (AD) investigations |
|---|---|
| Indonesia | Elimination of Export Restrictions on Mineral Resources (i.e. Nickel etc.) and Related Local Content Requirements |
| Russia | Correction of Discriminatory System/Implementation of Transport Vehicle Recycling Fee (Newly addressed) |
| Brazil | Correction of Discriminatory System/Implementation of Automobile Industrial Product Tax (IPI) (Newly addressed) |
| Ukraine | Revocation of Safeguard Measures against Automobiles (Newly addressed) |
| United States | Improvement of Sunset Review Practice and Early Termination of Inappropriate Long-Standing AD Duty Orders on Japanese Products |
(2) Issues Already Referred to the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism
| China | Elimination of Export Restrictions on Raw Materials (i.e. Rare Earths etc.) |
|---|---|
| Elimination of AD Duty Measures on High-Performance Stainless Steel Seamless Tubes Originated in Japan | |
| Canada | Abolition of Local Content Requirements in the Ontario's Feed-in Tariff Program for Renewable Energy |
| Argentina | Elimination of Import Restrictions on Wide-Ranging Items |
(3) Issues on which Japan Urges Prompt Implementation of the WTO Recommendations
| United States | Confirming Abolition of Zeroing |
|---|---|
| Halt of Distribution of Duty Revenues Collected through AD and Countervailing Duty Measures to U.S. Companies Based upon the Byrd Amendment | |
| Prompt Implementation of the WTO Recommendations on AD Duty Measures on Hot-Rolled Steel Products from Japan | |
| EU | Elimination of Import Duties Imposed on IT Products Specified as Non-Dutiable by the WTO Information Technology Agreement |
(Reference) Process to Resolve Problems Caused by Trade Measures
Appendices
- "2013 Report on Compliance by Major Trading Partners with Trade Agreements - WTO, FTA/EPAs, and BITs" and "METI Priorities Based on the 2013 Report"(PDF:1,077KB)
- METI Priorities Based on the 2013 Report on Compliance by Major Trading Partners with Trade Agreements(PDF:272KB)
Release Date
April 22, 2013
Division in Charge
- Office for WTO Compliance and Dispute Settlement, Multilateral Trade System Department, Trade Policy Bureau
- International Legal Affairs Office, Trade Policy Bureau