WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The United States threatened Monday to impose $143.4 million in trade sanctions on Japan for its alleged failure to soften quarantine standards on U.S. apple imports in accordance with World Trade Organization rulings.
The U.S. asked a WTO panel to review whether Japan has complied with earlier WTO rulings against its restrictions on imported U.S. apples, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said in a statement.
The U.S. is seeking WTO authorization to impose sanctions on Japan totaling an annual trade value of up to $143.4 million the approximate amount of annual harm to the U.S. economy caused by Japan's restrictions on U.S. apples, Zoellick said.