Trade

For the second time in four months, the US filed a case against China with the WTO, this time accusing China of illegally subsidizing the production of wind power equipment. It alleged that a Chinese government fund awarded grants to makers of wind power equipment and the grants were contingent on manufacturers using parts made in China. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that China's measures to develop wind energy would help "reduce emissions and protect the environment" and are in line with the WTO rules. The US case was based on complaints by the United Steelworkers, an American trade union with no business to lose in China, whilst GE and other American clean energy companies have avoided taking positions on the matter.