Russia files a complaint with the WTO about the violation of the US 15-year trade agreement

Russia has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the United States government, which is trying to abandon a 15-year agreement between the two countries, which creates special conditions for Russian producers of flat steel products with a high import quota, and the decision taken is against WTO rules.

The move by the United States came at the same time as Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow, as well as in connection with the decline in oil prices, which pushed the economies of both countries into a possible recession. The agreement between the United States and Russia protects Russian imports of hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel products from high anti-dumping duties. In addition, a minimum import price was set.

However, on December 19, 2014, the US government violated an agreement signed about 15 years ago. As a result, anti-dumping duties of 73.59 percent were introduced for Severstal, along with this, the Novolipetsk Metallurgical and Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combines faced anti-dumping obligations of 184.56 percent.

Alexander Stadnik, Russia's trade representative to the United States, wrote a letter to the US Department of Commerce in early December, in which he stated that, initially, the US and Russia had chosen a course based on the methodologies used by countries with market economies. Russia joined the WTO in 2012.