Brussels, 01/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - As soon as the verdict was made on 30 January by the WTO's appellate body declaring that export limitations by China on raw materials, including bauxite, coke, spath fluoride, silicium carbide, magnesium, manganese, meal silicium, phosphorus and zinc broke WTO rules, China stated that it is “ready” to deal with increasing pressure from developed nations to loosen export restrictions on rare earths. It is “regretful that the ruling has been upheld”, the Chinese department of trade said in a statement on its website but “the result is better than we expected as the WTO still supports many of our arguments”. It warned that “developed nations will probably request that China loosen export restrictions on rare earths in the coming months…But we don't fear this because we are fully prepared.” (EH/transl.fl)