U.S. steelmakers called for tough anti-dumping action against South Korea welded API line pipes that could effectively block export of the products, a local traders association said Friday. According to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), American Cast Iron Pipe Co. and seven other companies sued South Korean steelmakers such as Dongbu Steel, Dongyang Steel Pipe Co. and Hysco for unfairly undercutting prices and for receiving state subsidies. The U.S. companies also demanded action against line pipe manufacturers from Turkey.

Canada requested consultations under the disputed settlement provisions of the WTO, with China, regarding its anti-dumping duties on imports of cellulose pulp from Canada, said the world trade watchdog on Wednesday. According to the WTO, Canada claimed that the preliminary and final duty measures imposed by China in November 2013 and April 2014 "appear to be inconsistent with China's obligations under various provisions of the Anti-Dumping Agreement and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994."

Malaysia will impose anti-dumping duties of between 3.15 and 29.37 per cent on hot-rolled coils (HRC) imported from China, Indonesia and South Korea. The anti-dumping measures will be effective not more than 120 days from the tomorrow, the International Trade and Industry Ministry said in a statement. The measures are taken following a petition filed by Megasteel Sdn Bhd on behalf of local producers of hot-rolled coils on June 19, 2014.

Two Canadian paper and pulp producers on Thursday urged the federal government to put pressure on China to overturn the country's anti-dumping duties on dissolving pulp, a cellulosic material used to produce rayon. Vancouver, British Columbia-based Fortress Paper said on Thursday that it had been asking the Canadian government to petition China, on behalf of the Canadian pulp industry, to resolve the dispute equitably.

India broke World Trade Organization rules by blocking imports of U.S. poultry and other farm products because of unsubstantiated bird flu fears, a WTO dispute panel ruled on Tuesday, potentially opening up an estimated $300 million a year export market for the United States. India had claimed its import restrictions, imposed in 2007, were justified by international rules on animal health, but the panel agreed with the United States and found that India's measures were not based on international standards and were discriminatory.

The U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed steep duties on imports of refrigerant gas from China on Wednesday, saying the goods were sold too cheaply in the United States and were produced using Chinese government subsidies. Final duties on the gas known as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, used in air conditioning systems, will range from 282.54 percent to 303.42 percent, taking both anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties into account, according to a statement from Commerce.

Europe’s trade commissioner has reportedly warned Turkey that its rainbow trout exporters will be imposed anti-dumping duties, as preliminary findings from an EU investigation indicate that the country subsidized its producers. The news was reported by the Spanish news websiteMis Pesces, which said the commissioner had issued the warning in a letter to the president of the EU-Turkey Association Council, which Mis Pesces has seen.

Motech Industries, one of Taiwan's leading solar cell suppliers, remains optimistic about the long-term growth of Taiwan's solar industry despite the effects of anti-dumping tariffs imposed by the United States. Motech CFO Jack Hsieh said Tuesday that Taiwanese solar cell suppliers could team up with Chinese solar module makers to jointly explore new markets in a bid to take on challenges resulting from US tariffs.

Japan hopes to up international pressure on South Korea during an upcoming World Trade Organization meeting to remove its ban on seafood from Japanese prefectures, reported Japan Times. South Korea imposed a ban on seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures in September 2013, citing fears of radiation levels due to the Fukushima disaster of March 2011. Japan will now voice its opposition to the ban during a WTO meeting in Geneva, said Japan Times. It will be the fourth time it does so, since October 2013, it noted.

The trade minister, Andrew Robb, says the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement is starting to take shape and should be concluded by year’s end. The deal would send a signal about the importance of the Asia-Pacific region, especially during a time of economic and geopolitical instability, Robb told ministers from 12 nations involved in negotiating the pact in Sydney on Saturday. The deal is set to cover 40% of the global economy.