USA, China, Famous Brands and WTO

The USA has has commenced formal consultations – the first steps in another WTO complaint – in the WTO against the People’s Republic of China, alleging China is providing illegal protection for famous Chinese brands.

From the fact sheet:

China appears to be providing numerous WTO-illegal subsidies at multiple levels 

of government.  These include providing exporters: 

• Cash grant rewards for exporting 

• Preferential loans  

• Research and development funding  

• Cash grants to lower the cost of export credit insurance  

• The subsidies at issue offer significant benefits, particularly through cash grants that can reach over $400,000 to a single producer from a single level of government.

It would seem these are different “famous” brands to all those famous brands that are now “made in China”.

USTR press statement here.

USTR fact sheet here.