Legislative myopia

An interim report by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled in favor of China against a key clause in a US law that prohibits poultry imports from the nation.

This symbolic victory will not much improve the conditions of Chinese exporters given the small proportion of poultry exports to the United States. At best, it can boost China's confidence in the face of a growing number of trade disputes between the world's two major traders.

However, this WTO ruling can serve as pertinent warning to those US lawmakers advocating a short-sighted bill to force China to raise the value of its currency.