“This is a procedural step taken for technical reasons related to the need to assess certain elements arising from the preparation of written submissions,” said EU trade spokesman Olof Gill.

“This suspension is something the EU, as the complainant in this case, can do at any moment in time in the course of WTO proceedings.”

Launching the case in January 2022, Brussels said it had evidence of a refusal to clear Lithuanian goods at customs and a rejection of applications from Lithuania.

The EU also claimed to have evidence of China pressuring companies operating from other member states to remove Lithuanian inputs from their supply…