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.

In a stern message, India has told the UN General Assembly that developing countries must have the freedom to use food reserves to feed the poor “without the threat of sanctions” and a permanent solution on food security with necessary changes in WTO rules is a must.

The European Commission’s planned 9 percent anti-dumping decision on trout imports from Turkey has alarmed Turkish fishermen, who are worried about losing their biggest market. Turkey is now preparing to offer a number of alternative solutions by November, when the planned decision is expected to take effect, said Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker. 

Washington (Alliance News) - A trade deal being negotiated between the US and EU could boost legal and environmental standards worldwide including in China, German Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Wednesday in Washington. The Transatlatic Trade and Investment Partnership poses a "giant geostrategic chance," Gabriel said after meetings with US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Vice President Joe Biden. Countries including China would need meet the standards of what would be the largest free-trade zone in the world, he said.

This weekend, trade ministers from the 12 nations negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement will gather in Australia for yet another round of high-level talks.

(Reuters) - The United States will not go ahead with planned import duties on specialized steel from China, the Czech Republic, South Korea and Russia after the U.S. International Trade Commission found the imports were not harming local industry. The Commerce Department had set anti-dumping duties on imports of grain-oriented steel, mainly used in large- and medium-sized electrical power transformers, but an ITC vote on Thursday ended the case.