WTO said that Taiwan, which is known as Chinese Taipei within the organisation, had requested that it initiate "dispute consultations with Canada", charging it was breaching international trade rules.

The complaint, it said, regarded "Canadian measures imposing tariff rate quotas (TRQs) and surtax on imports of certain steel goods and a global duty on imports of certain steel derivative goods".

The request was filed on Monday, but was only circulated to WTO members on Thursday.

In the request, Taiwan charged that a string of measures announced since June, including a 50-percent surtax on imports of certain steel goods and a global 25-percent tariff on certain steel-derivative products, appeared "to be inconsistent with Canada's obligations under several WTO provisions".

WTO consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation.

After 60 days, if consultations have failed to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.