GENEVA (AP) -- A World Trade Organization panel has found that the dispute between the European Union and China over Chinese-made shoes has largely ended, since the EU stopped its antidumping measures in late March.
Friday's mixed ruling by the WTO panel found China was persuasive on some elements of its case yet failed to establish other parts. The panel decided against major recommendations, however, after the EU's move earlier this year to drop trade charges on Chinese leather shoes aimed at protecting European shoemakers.
China argued the antidumping duties were protectionist and damaging to free trade.
But the 27-nation EU had said the trade charges since 2006 were necessary because European producers were harmed by Chinese rivals illegally selling shoes below cost.