WTO ruling not end of road for China

The World Trade Organization (WTO) released a report recently that says China's export restrictions on nine raw materials - alumina, fluorite, manganese, metallic silicon, carborundum, yellow phosphorus, zinc, coke and magnesium - are inconsistent with WTO regulations. This indicates that China has lost the first round of the battle with the United States and the European Union on export restrictions on raw materials.

If China does not appeal within 60 days of its release, the report would be adopted as arbitration, according to WTO rules. China is certain to appeal, but it has to provide convincing evidence to challenge the WTO contention to get the report partly revised or overthrown.

But China also needs to be prepared for a loss, because the report reflects the views of many WTO experts. Besides, in its biennial report, released last year, evaluating China's trade policy, the WTO criticized China for its export restriction policy on raw materials.