Washington, May 04: The World Trade Organization has ruled that US tariffs to protect the American steel industry are illegal. The ruling, which has been made available to governments but has not been publicly released, was confirmed by a US trade official, The Washington Times reports.
The official, who asked not to be named, said the US plans to appeal the decision, leaving the tariffs in place in the meantime.
A final ruling by an appeals panel would not be expected until late November, the official said. By that time, the temporary protections would be past their halfway mark.

President bush slapped tariffs as high as 30 percent in March 2002 on foreign steel products to protect the ailing and uncompetitive US steel companies. The tariffs are set for three years, with less protection each year.
The 15-nation European Union and other major steel-producing nations complained to the WTO that the US tariffs broke international trade rules.
The ruling on steel tariffs, The Washington Times notes, is the latest in a string of high-profile losses for the US. Bureau Report