Russia demands compensation at WTO for U.S. steel tariffs

[April 19, 2018]  GENEVA (Reuters) - Russia is demanding compensation from the United States for its decision to impose worldwide tariffs on steel and aluminum, a Russian statement published by the World Trade Organization showed on Thursday.

A worker takes control as a bundle of steel rebar is loaded into a truck at the Ariel Metal steel trader warehouse in Podolsk outside Moscow, Russia February 9, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

The United States maintains that the tariffs are based on national security concerns and fall outside the remit of the WTO rules, but Russia, China, India and the European Union have all objected, saying the tariffs appear to be "safeguards", which require compensation for major exporting countries.

The United States has agreed to negotiate with China and has told India and the EU that it is open to "discuss this or any other issue", while insisting that their claims for compensation are unjustified.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; editing by Jason Neely)

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