Japan Temporarily Blocks South Korean WTO Dispute Request
- South Korea says Japan unfairly blocked electronics components
- Japan cites WTO national security exemption in its defense
A man wearing a protective mask walks past the Samsung Electronics Co.'s smartphone manufacturing factory in Gumi, South Korea.
Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The Japanese government blocked South Korea’s initial request for a World Trade Organization dispute inquiry into Tokyo’s export-license restrictions on electronics components.
During a meeting in Geneva Monday, the Japanese delegation said its restrictions on three classes of chemicals used in the production of semiconductors and digital displays are permitted by WTO rules and explicitly tied its defense to the trade body’s national-security exemption.