Japan may retaliate against proposed U.S. curbs on steel imports if bilateral talks fail to resolve the issue, a senior trade bureaucrat said Thursday. Katsusada Hirose, vice minister for economy, trade and industry, made the comments ahead of bilateral negotiations scheduled to begin Thursday in Washington.
Should the talks break down, Japan will consider all options, including the filing of a complaint with the World Trade Organization and the imposition of retaliatory measures, Hirose said.
Under its so-called safeguard clause, the World Trade Organization allows member countries to take retaliatory action against a country that implements import curbs.
On March 5, the United States announced it would invoke three-year import restriction measures on certain steel products in an effort to protect the U.S. steel industry. The safeguard measures are scheduled to take effect on Wednesday.