On August 29, 2018, the United States circulated a request for consultations to the World Trade Organization (WTO) members. The US has requested that the WTO help resolve a dispute between the US and Russia concerning additional duties imposed by Russia on certain US goods.
A request for consultations is similar to other forms of dispute resolution. The request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO. If after 60 days of consultations, the parties have not been able to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.
In its claim initiated earlier this week, the US claims that the additional duties imposed by Russia are inconsistent with provisions of the WTO’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994, and appear to impair the benefits accruing to the US under GATT 1994. The US claims that Russia is imposing duties on US goods, and that it is not imposing comparable duties on similar products originating in the territory of other WTO members.
The claim also includes a statement that Russia appears to be applying duty rates that are greater than those in Russia’s WTO schedule of concessions. The “schedules of concessions” is a document that reflects specific tariff concessions and other commitments a member gives in the context of trade negotiations.