Japan is in the final stage of considering asking the World Trade Organization to allow it to take retaliatory steps against the United States for refusing to abandon an antidumping provision that violates WTO rules, government officials said Thursday.
Japan is expected to make the request Monday.
The provision, known as the Byrd Amendment, allows the U.S. government to distribute proceeds from antidumping and countervailing duties to American companies allegedly hit by foreign imports.
The Japanese government is discussing the matter with the European Union to determine the scale of the proposed tariffs and which U.S. products will be targeted.
The WTO made a final ruling against the U.S. last January following a petition filed by Japan and the EU. It set Dec. 27 as the deadline for the law to be revised, but the U.S. government failed to comply.
In late November, Japan notified the WTO that it may impose additional tariffs of 30 percent on U.S. steel products, gasoline, gold and plastic products.