China Brings U.S. Tariff Dispute to WTO, Berates Washington for Blocking Judges

In the midst of the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China, complains of illegal actions within the WTO threaten the stability of the world's most central international trade organization. China brings the ongoing trade war to WTO by initiating the legal process to challenge U.S. tariffs on some $234 billion worth of goods. The U.S. in turn has countered by "blocking the appointment of judges who could rule it" and citing actions by the Chinese within the WTO of "grossly unfair and trade-distorting forced technology policies and practices". The implications of the U.S. and China taking these trade disputes to the WTO could have major consequences for the future of this organization. The WTO's Appellate Body is the top court of world trade, and unless changes are made, this important body within the WTO may cease to exist in the near future. As the two most influential members of the WTO, the actions of both China and the U.S. leave few members unaffected, which could jeopardize the future of international free trade.