WTO says US tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 were inconsistent with rules

A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel said that additional US tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 were "inconsistent" with the organisation's rules.

It recommended in a report on Tuesday that the US brings its measures into conformity with obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) signed in 1994.

"The Panel is very much aware of the wider context in which the WTO system currently operates, which is one reflecting a range of unprecedented global trade tensions," it said.

US President Donald Trump decided to implement additional tariffs on several Chinese imports in 2018, including agricultural and automotive products and technological parts.

In April of that year, China requested consultations from the WTO about the tariffs.

The Chinese trade ministry then announced that two rivals agreed to remove additional bilateral tariffs at the beginning of 2020.

Trump and Deputy Chinese Prime Minister Liu Hi signed the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement January 15 at the White House.