After its first panel request was blocked at a meeting last month (which is allowed under WTO dispute settlement rules), China requested a panel on Indian measures related to the solar/IT sectors for a second time, and this time a WTO panel was established.

In two recent WTO meetings, for which the minutes were recently circulated, China raised concerns with a range of EU measures: EU steel tariffs, an Italian decree on renewable energy sources, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and the Industrial Accelerator Act.

At a WTO Committee on Market Access meeting this year, Guatemala once again raised a concern with Chinese restrictions on its coffee exports.

Last week, political leaders in the EU debated taking stronger action to address trade imbalances with China, but ultimately put off deciding on a specific action until later in the year.

This past week, CTM covered the following issues. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) downplayed fears of a "full-blown" trade war with the EU, stating that trade communications remain "smooth" and that Brussels has explicitly indicated that a trade war is not its goal.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered some details on the U.S. reaction to Canada's decision to allow a small number of Chinese EVs to be imported into Canada, as well as possible Chinese investment in Canada in this sector.

The Trump administration has taken action to bar imports of copper and copper products from a Chinese company operating in Serbia, based on forced labor concerns. This follows a similar action last December against a Chinese company making tires in Serbia.