Anchor: The U.S. on Monday announced safeguard measures on imports of large residential washing machines and solar cells, which will likely strike a blow to South Korean manufacturers. In response, Seoul plans to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization.
Alannah Hill has the details.

Report: South Korea plans to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization(WTO) against a U.S. decision to slap heavy anti-dumping duties on Korean washing machines and solar panels.

Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong revealed the plan during a meeting in Seoul on Tuesday, calling the U.S. measures unfair.

He said that to protect its national interests, South Korea will actively respond to protectionism and in line with that stance will execute its rights guaranteed in WTO agreements.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement on Monday that President Donald Trump has approved recommendations to impose safeguard tariffs on imported large residential washing machines and solar cells and modules. 

The measures include a 20-percent tariff on the first one-point-two million units of imported large residential washing machines, including those produced by Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, and a 50-percent tariff on units exceeding the quota. 

The below-quota rate goes down to 18 percent and 16 percent in the second and third years, respectively. For units exceeding the quota, the rate goes down to 45 percent and 40 percent.

On imports of solar cells in excess of two-point-five gigawatts, the U.S. will impose a 30-percent tariff in the first year and 25 percent and 20 percent in the second and third years, respectively. The rate will go down to 15 percent in the fourth year. 

Kim, who had served on the WTO’s appellate body, stressed that there is a strong chance South Korea will win the suit.

The minister said the government will promptly request bilateral talks with the U.S. to discuss compensation, adding that if the talks fail to produce appropriate results, Seoul will actively seek to suspend its application of tariff concessions on the U.S.
Alannah Hill, KBS World Radio News.