GENEVA: On Wednesday in Geneva the WTO (World Trade Organization) reviewed the trade policy of the United States, warning against its possible protectionism measures against its various trade partners. With the review, a relating report was issued by the WTO secretariat.

The report also listed possible protectionism measures applied by the United States against its trading partners, while ranking the U.S. trade and investment regimes as “among the most open in the world”. The report said, “The United States had 246 antidumping duty (AD) orders in effect in December 2009, 22 more than in December 2007 ….affect imports from 40 countries or territories, “and countervailing duties (CVD) “final order increased from 31 in 2007 to 41 in December 2009”.

The report added, the United States is experiencing “a marked slowdown in the pace of negotiating free-trade agreements (FTAs)”.The report also highlighted its concern over “some anti-recession measures,” which includes “provisions that favored domestic suppliers of goods and services”. The decision by the United States in 2007 to abolish its long-standing policy of not applying CVD on China and trading issues between the United States and its major trading partner China are also repeatedly mentioned in the report, including the additional imports duty applies on tyre imports from China.

The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of China to the WTO, Sun Zhenyu, said in a statement during the review “there is an incremental setback of free trade vis–vis trade protectionism in the U.S., particularly during and after the financial crisis”. Sun is worried by the emerging side – effect caused by the expansionary monetary policy of the United States and its stepping back from the role of dual leadership in Doha Round negotiations.

During the review, it urged the United States to assume its role at early time, many WTO members blamed the United States for not playing an active part in pushing ahead the Doha round negotiations. Trade Policy Review is an exercise, in which members countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular interval, as mandated in the regular intervals.

With the frequency of review depending on the country’s size, all WTO members are subject to review. On 29 September and 1 October 2010, the tenth review of the trade policies and practices of the United States would take place. The basis for the review is a report by the Government of the United States of America and a report by the WTO Secretariat.