论《中国加入议定书》第15条到期后的法律效力

On the Legal Effect of the Expiration of Article 15 of China's Accession Protocol

中国入世议定书第15(a)(ii)段到期后的法律效果和影响目前仍存在争议。本文认为:首先,市场经济地位、倾销、价格可比性和替代国方法之间的关系,证明市场经济地位和替代国方法是两个不同层面的法律问题;其次,议定书第15(a)(ii)段是议定书中唯一授权使用替代国方法的条款,该条款的到期将绝对和无条件地终止替代国方法的使用,并且免除中国被调查生产者的取证责任;第三,议定书第15条的存续条款不构成在2016年后继续使用替代国方法的法律依据。最后结论是:替代国方法将于而且必须在2016年底终止。

The legal effect of the expiration of Subparagraph 15（a）（ii） of China＇s Accession Protocol is currently under debate. This paper argues that the NME methodology shall be terminated after 2016. It starts with an analysis on the relationship among market economy status, dumping, price comparability and the NME methodology, and clarifies that the market economy status and the NME methodology are separate issues. Then, this paper interprets the provisions that will expire and those that will remain after 2016 respectively. It establishes that Subparagraph 15（a）（ii） is the only trigger of the use of the NME methodology, and the expiration of which will terminate both the NME methodology and the burden of proof of Chinese producers under investigation. The remaining provisions of Paragraph 15 cannot serve as a legal basis to use the NME methodology after 2016. The supplementary means of interpretation also confi rms the conclusion that the NME methodology shall be terminated after 2016.