Japan has vowed to impose sanctions, jointly with South Korea, against the United States after the U.S. failed to repeal a trade law declared illegal by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In a statement Friday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said it would act as early as "this autumn" if Washington did not repeal its anti-dumping legislation known as the Byrd amendment,

The WTO ruled Tuesday that South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Japan, Mexico, and the European Union are now entitled to impose sanctions of up to 72 percent of what they have paid to U.S. companies in punitive duties over the past three years.

The decision came after the U.S. Congress failed to repeal an anti-dumping law known as the Byrd Amendment. The law allows the government to impose anti-dumping duties on foreign exporters and distribute the exacted taxes to U.S. producers who requested or supported the imposition of those duties.