EU to resume WTO case against China over alleged economic coercion of Lithuania
The European Union will resume its World Trade Organization case against China, accusing it of economic coercion against Lithuania. The European Commission, representing the EU, decided to renew the case at the Geneva trade courts, ending speculation about whether the bloc would let the lawsuit lapse. This legal action was initially launched in 2022 following tensions between Vilnius and Beijing over the establishment of a "Taiwanese Representative Office" in Lithuania, which led to a significant disruption in trade between the two nations.
The conflict began when Lithuanian exporters experienced difficulties shipping their goods to China, as the country's data was removed from the Chinese customs system. This resulted in a dramatic decline in Lithuanian exports, with a 91.4% drop in shipment value noted in November 2021 compared to the previous year. Despite these challenges, the European Commission had paused the case in early 2022, as lawyers struggled to gather evidence proving that the trade barriers were a deliberate state action by China. However, the decision to resume the case indicates a renewed effort by the EU to address the economic tensions and uphold its trade interests on the international stage.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
The European Union will resume its World Trade Organization case against China, accusing it of economic coercion against Lithuania. The European Commission, representing the EU, decided to renew the case at the Geneva trade courts, ending speculation about whether the bloc would let the lawsuit lapse. This legal action was initially launched in 2022 following tensions between Vilnius and Beijing over the establishment of a "Taiwanese Representative Office" in Lithuania, which led to a significant disruption in trade between the two nations.
The conflict began when Lithuanian exporters experienced difficulties shipping their goods to China, as the country's data was removed from the Chinese customs system. This resulted in a dramatic decline in Lithuanian exports, with a 91.4% drop in shipment value noted in November 2021 compared to the previous year. Despite these challenges, the European Commission had paused the case in early 2022, as lawyers struggled to gather evidence proving that the trade barriers were a deliberate state action by China. However, the decision to resume the case indicates a renewed effort by the EU to address the economic tensions and uphold its trade interests on the international stage.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
