China Programme • Volume 13 • Number 32 • 23rd September 2009

China Appeals Ruling on Imports of Books, Movies, Music

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In the latest chapter of an ongoing trade spat between the world’s two largest economies, China on Tuesday appealed a WTO ruling that upholds a US complaint against its restrictions on foreign books, movies and music.

“China has appealed to the WTO over the publication ruling,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, Bloomberg reported.

In August, a panel of WTO judges ruled against Beijing’s requirement that copyrighted publications and audiovisual products be imported and sold domestically through state-approved or state-owned distributors (see Bridges Weekly, 9 September 2009, http://ictsd.net/i/news/bridgesweekly/54713/).

The WTO’s Appellate Body - the organisation’s highest court - will now consider China’s request. The seven-member body has the power to uphold, modify or reverse the findings of the lower panel.

Trade tensions between the US and China have intensified in recent weeks, as the two countries have sparred over trade in tyres, chicken and autos. Last week, Beijing initiated a separate WTO dispute with Washington over the 35 percent tariffs on imports of Chinese tyres that US President Barack Obama announced earlier this month (see Bridges Weekly, 16 September 2009, http://ictsd.net/i/news/bridgesweekly/55281/). The duties are scheduled to take effect on Saturday.

ICTSD reporting; “China appeals WTO ruling on book, film imports that backed US,” BLOOMBERG, 22 September 2009.