On Aug. 16, China’s Ministry of Commerce said it had taken note of a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel report on China’s countermeasures against the United States’ Section 232 tariff measures related to steel and aluminum.
The Chinese representative said the ministry was studying the report and would respond in accordance with WTO rules.
The root cause of the problem in this case is the unilateral and protectionist actions of the United States, the official said, adding that China’s countermeasures were taken in accordance with the law and are lawful measures to protect the country’s legitimate rights and interests.
Since March 2018, the United States has generalized the concept of “national security” and imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum products exported to the United States by many WTO members, including China.
These moves caused widespread discontent and China and many other WTO members resorted to the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism. In December 2022, the WTO ruled that US actions violated WTO rules, the official said.
“However, the United States has persisted in its own way, obstructing the enforcement of the panel of experts’ decision, shirking its obligations and refusing to repeal the illegal customs act,” the official said.
“China demands that the United States immediately cancel Section 232 measures on steel and aluminum that violate WTO rules and work with other WTO members in the same direction to maintain a rules-based multilateral trading system,” the official said. （Cl）
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