China can hit US with $3.58 billion annual trade sanctions: WTO
A worker places U.S. and China flags near the Forbidden City ahead of a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing, in Beijing, China November 8, 2017. (REUTERS Photo)




A World Trade Organization arbitrator on Friday authorized China to slap tariffs on US imports worth up to $3.58 billion annually in a years-long dispute over US anti-dumping practices, a trade official said.

China had asked the WTO for permission to hit the US with more than $7 billion in tariffs in the case.

The decision marks the first time the WTO has authorised China to impose tariffs in a trade dispute.