Over 40 countries object at WTO to U.S. car tariff plan, fearing collapse of rules-based trading system

GENEVA – Major U.S. trading partners including the European Union, China and Japan voiced deep concern at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday about possible U.S. measures imposing additional duties on imported autos and parts. Japan, which along with Russia had initiated the discussion at the WTO Council on Trade in Goods, warned that such measures could trigger a spiral of countermeasures and result in the collapse of the rules-based multilateral trading system, an official who attended the meeting said. Over 40 WTO members, including the 28 countries of the European Union -- warned that the U.S. action could seriously disrupt the world market and threaten the WTO system, given the importance of cars to world trade. The United States has imposed tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports and is conducting another national security study that could lead to tariffs on imports of cars and car parts. Both sets of tariffs would be based on concerns about U.S. national security. U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 29 that the probe would be completed in three to four weeks.