US trying to hold WTO to ransom

The World Trade Organization's Appellate Body ruled against the United States on Tuesday in a 2012 case brought by China to challenge US anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese exports, saying the US did not fully comply with a WTO ruling and could face Chinese sanctions if it does not remove certain tariffs that break WTO rules.

The case, which involved Chinese exports of solar panels, wind towers and steel cylinders worth $7.3 billion, dates back to the Barack Obama era and has nothing to do with the ongoing Sino-US trade conflict.

But given the rising heat of their current spat, and especially the history of the US proclaiming itself to be a perpetual victim of unfair international trade - a pretext used by the current US administration to slap hefty tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods - the WTO ruling serves as a reminder that he who cries the loudest may not necessarily deserve the most care.