Russian Minister does not see Russia’s tariff disputes with the U.S. to be settled by December

Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin does not see Russia’s dispute with the United States on aluminium and steel duties imposed by Washington to be settled by December 2019. In June 2018, Russia filed a lawsuit with the WTO to challenge extra tariffs on steel and aluminium by the U.S. in March 2018. The country’s biggest aluminium exporter Rusal was also put under sanction in April 2018 by the U.S. treasury. Though the sanctions were lifted in January 2019, the tariffs are intact creating tension between both the countries.

The minister expressed his thoughts in in Tsukuba, which is hosting the G20 ministerial meeting on trade and digital economy.

"We are continuing our litigation, the procedures are not quick. It’s clear that most likely the US will oppose the decisions. This issue generally bumps into the WTO’s reforms and settling the issue with an appeal authority. This dispute is unlikely to be ironed out by December," Oreshkin said.

Trump Administration imposed 25% duties on steel products from all countries except Australia, Argentina, Brazil and South Korea, and 10% duties for aluminium imports to the US from all countries except Australia and Argentina in March 2018. Now the U.S. has removed import duties on steel and aluminium from Canada and Mexico.