To date, China has brought 8 complaints at the WTO, six against the U.S. and two against the EU.
China also has 23 complaints against it. Again, the U.S. and EU dominate, with 12 complaints by the U.S. and five by the EU. There is a little more diversity here, though, as Canada, Guatemala and Mexico have also brought complaints.
The one country that I'm most surprised is not on either list is Brazil. But that omission may not last long. Here is the Economist:
OPPOSITE Rio de Janeiro’s best-known shopping mall, just before the tunnel that takes drivers to the beach resorts of Copacabana and Ipanema, stands a gleaming new showroom for JAC Motors, a state-owned Chinese car maker. The prominence of the location is appropriate: imported Chinese cars have suddenly become a visible presence on Brazil’s roads. This has alarmed Brazil’s car industry and President Dilma Rousseff’s government. Last month a 30-percentage-point tax increase on cars with less than 65% local content took effect, taking the tax on some imported models to a punitive 55%—on top of import tariffs.
The tax increase is an unusually blatant act of protectionism. It almost certainly violates the rules of the World Trade Organisation, of which Brazil is normally an enthusiastic supporter. It shows how sensitive the government of President Dilma Rousseff is to claims that the country is suffering “de-industrialisation”.
...
... The tax rise on cars was announced last September, as part of a new industrial policy. The aim was to bully carmakers without plants in Brazil to hurry up and build them. This seems to be working: JAC Motors, BMW, and Jaguar Land Rover, a unit of India’s Tata Motors, have all announced plans to build factories in Brazil since the import tax was unveiled.
Perhaps a dispute can be avoided on this particular issue, but there are definitely signs that there may be disputes to come in the future:
Many Brazilian industrialists distinguish between Chinese and other competitors. “We don’t believe in protection against efficiency,” insists Roberto Giannetti of São Paulo’s Federation of Industries (FIESP). But he adds that “today we can’t accept China as a fair trader”. FIESP says it did not want the tax increase on imported cars. But it complains that China is dumping diverted exports from depressed Europe. Meanwhile, Brazilian manufacturers trying to export to China face steep non-tariff barriers on manufactured goods, such as obstructive state purchasing agents. Rubens Ricúpero, a former finance minister, thinks that rather than acquiesce in the disappearance of its industries, Brazil will move towards managed trade with China, at least in some sectors.
