中国限制稀土輸出敗訴

A few weeks ago the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

中国、日米欧に全面敗訴…レアアース輸出規制

　中国によるレアアース（希土類）の輸出規制が世界貿易機関（ＷＴＯ）の協定違反に当たるなどとして日本と米国、欧州連合（ＥＵ）が共同で提訴していた問題で、ＷＴＯの紛争処理小委員会は２６日、日米欧の主張を全面的に認める報告書を発表した。

　中国は６０日以内に２審に相当する上級委員会に上訴できる。

　中国は２０１０年ごろからレアアースの輸出量を大幅に削減したほか、レアメタル（希少金属）のタングステン、モリブデンとともに輸出税を導入。日米欧はこの措置が中国の国内産業を優遇しているとして１２年にＷＴＯに提訴していた。

　報告書は、輸出規制は天然資源の保全のためとする中国の主張を認めず、ＷＴＯ協定で禁止する数量制限にあたるとして是正を求めた。輸出税についても環境保護に必要な措置とは言えないと認定した。茂木経済産業相は、この判断を歓迎するとの談話を出した。

（2014年3月26日22時27分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

    Regarding the problem that Japan, the U.S. and the European Union (EU) had filed a law suit together accusing China for violating the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement etc. in controlling the export of its rare earth, on the 26^th (March) the Dispute Resolution Panel of the WTO released a report which fully accepted the viewpoints of Japan, the U.S. and Europe.

    China could appeal within 60 days to a higher committee, which was equivalent to have a second trial.

    China reduced the volume of the rare earth export sharply from around 2010; it also introduced an export duty on tungsten and molybdenum rare metals. Japan, the U.S. and Europe filed a law suit to WTO in 2012 noting that the measures would favorably treat China’s domestic industries.

    The report, while did not accept China’s opinion that to carry out the export control was for the preservation of natural resources, asked for correcting the action which was equivalent to a quantity limitation that was forbidden by the WTO agreements. The report held the view that it could not be said that the export duty measure was needed for environmental protection reasons. Mogi the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry made a comment to welcome the judgment.

(22:27 on March 26, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

I am interested to know how China would react to this WTO judgment.