By Jiang Wei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-09-14 17:23

China will bring the United States to the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the first time over its countervailing and anti-dumping measures on Chinese-made coated paper.

The Chinese delegation to the WTO has notified its US counterpart on Friday, asking for consultation over the issue, according to a statement the Ministry of Commerce published on the website.

It marks the first time that China individually seeks a resolution under the dispute settlement system of the WTO since it joined the global trade body in 2001.

If the two parties failed to reach an agreement through consultation, China can ask the WTO to establish a panel for the settlement of the dispute.

The US Department of Commerce launched a countervailing probe into China's coated paper on November 20, claiming that certain Chinese products were unfairly subsidized by the Chinese government. The probe was followed by an anti-dumping investigation on the same products later.