The United States and other countries will then decide how to put more pressure on China to ease restrictions on rare earth exports. U.S. trade officials said the ruling in a lawsuit over Chinese raw material export restrictions could help in how to take action against China's restrictions on rare earth exports. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said the WTO ruling was a huge victory for the United States. The WTO ruling could spark similar actions by the United States and Europe on Chinese rare earth exports.

　　In a statement shortly after the ruling, EU trade commissioner Karel DeGucht urged China to act. "Now China must remove these export restrictions as soon as possible, and I hope that China will make policy adjustments to the entire export system, including rare earths, to comply with WTO regulations," De Gucht said.