Japan on Monday acted on behalf of 14 countries in proposing that the WTO rewrite its antidumping rules to take into account the interests of consumers in importing countries.
The proposal also contains new limitations on how antidumping measures can be applied.
Trade sources said Koichi Haraguchi, Japan's ambassador to the WTO, outlined the 12-point proposal on antidumping measures during a negotiating session on trade rules that could be incorporated into a new round of trade talks on lowering trade barriers.
The proposal calls for a new emphasis on what's good for consumers, with the proponents arguing that importing countries tend to ignore consumers' interests when they levy dumping tariffs to protect domestic industries.