<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div><br class=""><div class="">Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">USTR Press Office <<a href="mailto:ustrpressoffice@ustr.eop.gov" class="">ustrpressoffice@ustr.eop.gov</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Statement from USTR Spokesperson Sam Michel on Today’s WTO Panel Ruling</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">August 16, 2023 at 10:22:58 AM EDT<br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Reply-To: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">USTR Press Office <<a href="mailto:ustrpressoffice@ustr.eop.gov" class="">ustrpressoffice@ustr.eop.gov</a>></span></div><br class=""><div class=""><center style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); text-decoration: none;" class=""><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="100%" width="100%" id="bodyTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; height: 1300px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 996px; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="top" id="bodyCell" style="height: 1280px; margin: 0px; padding: 10px; width: 976px; border-top-width: 0px;" class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="templateContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 600px !important; border: 0px; width: 600px !important;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" id="templatePreheader" style="background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); background-image: none; background-size: cover; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 9px; padding-bottom: 9px; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;" class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnImageBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnImageBlockOuter"><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnImageBlockInner" style="padding: 9px;"><table align="left" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td class="mcnImageContent" valign="top" style="padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ustr.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b58f12c4da47019d98a1e84ef&id=991d0ed07d&e=2babc947d3" title="" class="" target="_blank"><img align="center" alt="" src="https://mcusercontent.com/b58f12c4da47019d98a1e84ef/images/0d413003-0506-4c4e-91ae-ad018326f8a5.png" width="169.2" class="mcnImage" style="border: 0px; height: auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: bottom; max-width: 750px; padding-bottom: 0px; display: inline !important;"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px;"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnTextContent" style="word-break: break-word; color: rgb(101, 101, 101); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center; padding: 0px 18px 9px;"><a href="https://mailchi.mp/27ac88e84629/statement-from-ustr-spokesperson-sam-michel-on-todays-wto-panel-ruling?e=2babc947d3" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(101, 101, 101); font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" class="">View this email in your browser</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class=""><td valign="top" id="templateHeader" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-image: none; background-size: cover; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 9px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;" class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px;"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnTextContent" style="word-break: break-word; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; padding: 0px 18px 9px;"><div style="text-align: left;" class=""><strong class="">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;" class="">August 16, 2023</div> <div style="text-align: left;" class=""><strong class="">CONTACT</strong>:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:media@ustr.eop.gov" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137); font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" class="">media@ustr.eop.gov</a><br class=""> </div><div style="text-align: center;" class=""><strong class="">Statement from USTR Spokesperson Sam Michel on Today’s WTO Panel Ruling</strong></div><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;" class="">The United States is pleased with the World Trade Organization (WTO) panel report released today, recognizing that the U.S. Section 232 actions on steel and aluminum are security measures, and that the People’s Republic of China (China) illegally retaliated with sham “safeguard” tariffs.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;" class="">China’s decision to pursue this dispute highlights its hypocrisy by both suing the United States in the WTO and at the same time unilaterally retaliating with tariffs. The panel rightly rejected China’s argument that the U.S. Section 232 actions are safeguard measures that may be “rebalanced” under WTO rules. </p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;" class="">China’s use of the WTO dispute settlement system to challenge the U.S. Section 232 national security actions has caused grave systemic damage to the WTO. The WTO does not have the authority to second-guess a WTO Member’s response to threats to its security, and WTO reform must ensure that issues of national security cannot be reviewed in WTO dispute settlement. Furthermore, the WTO has proven ineffective at addressing non-market excess capacity from China and others that is an existential threat to market-oriented steel and aluminum sectors and, through the effects on imports, a threat to U.S. national security, including by eroding U.S. steel and aluminum manufacturing capacity.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;" class="">The United States condemns China’s refusal to correct its severe and persistent non-market excess capacity for steel and aluminum that is at the heart of a global crisis that led to the U.S. Section 232 national security actions. The Biden Administration is committed to standing up for U.S. workers, and all workers of market-oriented companies and industries, and creating and maintaining a fair, worker-centered trading system.</p> <div style="text-align: center;" class="">###</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class=""><td valign="top" id="templateBody" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-image: none; background-size: cover; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 234, 234); padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;" class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px;"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnTextContent" style="word-break: break-word; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; text-align: left; padding: 0px 18px 9px;"><div style="text-align: center;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(169, 169, 169);" class="">U.S. Trade Representative Press Office</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class=""><td valign="top" id="templateFooter" style="background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); background-image: none; background-size: cover; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 9px; padding-bottom: 9px; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;" class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnFollowBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnFollowBlockOuter"><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="top" class="mcnFollowBlockInner" style="padding: 9px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnFollowContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" style="padding-left: 9px; padding-right: 9px;" class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnFollowContent" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="top" style="padding-top: 9px; padding-right: 9px; padding-left: 9px;" class=""><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="top" class=""><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; display: inline;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnFollowContentItemContainer" style="padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 9px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnFollowContentItem" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="left" valign="middle" style="padding: 5px 10px 5px 9px;" class=""><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="" style="border-collapse: collapse;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="middle" width="24" class="mcnFollowIconContent"><a href="mailto:media@ustr.eop.gov" target="_blank" class=""><img src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-forwardtofriend-48.png" alt="Email" height="24" width="24" class="" style="border: 0px; height: auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; display: block;"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; display: inline;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnFollowContentItemContainer" style="padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 9px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnFollowContentItem" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="left" valign="middle" style="padding: 5px 10px 5px 9px;" class=""><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="" style="border-collapse: collapse;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="middle" width="24" class="mcnFollowIconContent"><a href="https://ustr.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b58f12c4da47019d98a1e84ef&id=943f8c9f68&e=2babc947d3" target="_blank" class=""><img src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-twitter-48.png" alt="Twitter" height="24" width="24" class="" style="border: 0px; height: auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; display: block;"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; display: inline;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnFollowContentItemContainer" style="padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 9px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnFollowContentItem" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="left" valign="middle" style="padding: 5px 10px 5px 9px;" class=""><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="" style="border-collapse: collapse;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="middle" width="24" class="mcnFollowIconContent"><a href="https://ustr.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b58f12c4da47019d98a1e84ef&id=83118fad7d&e=2babc947d3" target="_blank" class=""><img src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-link-48.png" alt="Website" height="24" width="24" class="" style="border: 0px; height: auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; display: block;"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; display: inline;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="mcnFollowContentItemContainer" style="padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnFollowContentItem" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="left" valign="middle" style="padding: 5px 10px 5px 9px;" class=""><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="" style="border-collapse: collapse;" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="middle" width="24" class="mcnFollowIconContent"><a href="https://ustr.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b58f12c4da47019d98a1e84ef&id=064ef68673&e=2babc947d3" target="_blank" class=""><img src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-instagram-48.png" alt="Instagram" height="24" width="24" class="" style="border: 0px; height: auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; display: block;"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="mcnDividerBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed !important; min-width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr class=""><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner" style="min-width: 100%; padding: 10px 18px 25px;"><table class="mcnDividerContent" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; border-top-width: 2px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td class=""><span class=""></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></center><center style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); text-decoration: none;" class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" id="canspamBarWrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(229, 229, 229);" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td align="center" valign="top" style="padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;" class=""><br class=""></td></tr></tbody></table></center><img src="https://ustr.us7.list-manage.com/track/open.php?u=b58f12c4da47019d98a1e84ef&id=dfd35d3e05&e=2babc947d3" height="1" width="1" alt="" style="border: 0px; height: auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" class=""></span></div></div><br class=""></body></html>