South Korea insists on US sanctions

The World Trade Organization meeting revealed that South Korea plans to push for trade sanctions against the United States in a dispute over steel pipe tariffs. South Korea put the request for sanctions on the WTO agenda on August 9, but the United States is likely to challenge the request, sparking a new round of legal disputes.

South Korea went to the WTO in 2014 to challenge US tariffs imposed on pipes for petroleum products. The US said its tariffs are intended to stop South Korea's exports at unfairly cheap prices. After South Korea won a partial victory in the WTO, the United States had to comply with this decision by July 12.