美欧墨诉中国原材料出口措施案述评——兼谈争端解决机构的法律解释方法

Methods of DSB to interpret WTO Rules:A Commentary on Appellate Body Reports on Measures Related to the Exportation of Various Raw Materials

美欧墨诉中国原材料出口措施一案中国败诉,对中国是一则重要警示。从个案角度出发,原材料案的特定背景、中方上诉时的诉争点以及上诉机构报告中的分析思路都需厘清。从WTO体系出发,对原材料案的分析有助于理解WTO争端解决机构(DSB)的法律解释权限及其法律解释方法。在本案中,核心问题是《中华人民共和国加入世界贸易议定书》第11.3段中承诺的义务,能否援引GATT1994第二十条(g)项予以排除。争端解决机构采用约文解释的方式,对该问题作出分析,而使用约文解释也已成为争端解决机构进行法律解释的倾向。

The dispute about measures related to the exportation of various raw materials between China and the United States, European Union and Mexico is really a warning to China. We can comment on the case from different perspectives： not only about the case itself, i.e., the special backgrounds, the special disputed issues and ideas of the Appelate Body, but also about the WTO System, i.e., the authority of the Dispute Settlement Mechanism to interpret and explain WTO rules. In this case, the core issue is whether China can base its defense on Art. 20（g）GATT1994 to exempt from the liabity of violation of the promises in China＇s Accession Protocol to WTO. As a result, Dispute Settlement Body make a decision in a way of word meaning interpretation, which implies the tendency of the changing flavor of DSB when they are interpreting WTO rules.