Xinhua | September 15, 2024
China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes U.S. abuse of Section 301 to hike tariffs on some Chinese goods, the Ministry of Commerce said Saturday.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative on Friday announced final modifications concerning the statutory review of the tariff actions toward China under Section 301.
China has repeatedly lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side concerning the Section 301 tariffs, said a spokesperson for the ministry.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has already ruled that the Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules. However, instead of rectifying its wrongdoings, the U.S. side further increases tariffs on Chinese products, adding one mistake to another, said the spokesperson.
The move is a typical practice of unilateralism and trade protectionism, said the spokesperson, adding that it seriously undermines the international trade order, as well as the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
Moreover, the move not only fails to solve the United States' own problems concerning trade deficits and industrial competitiveness, but also pushes up prices of U.S. imports and forces U.S. companies and consumers to bear the additional costs.
The 2024 Report on WTO Compliance of the United States, which was released Thursday by the ministry, once again expressed serious concern over the U.S. abuse of Section 301, and pointed out that the United States is a "disrupter of global industrial and supply chains."
The U.S. side had previously sought public opinions on the results of the Section 301 tariff review. The majority of opinions either opposed the imposition of additional tariffs or requested broader tariff exemptions.
"This shows the Section 301 tariffs are unpopular among the U.S. public," said the spokesperson.
The United States should rectify its wrongdoings immediately and remove all additional tariffs on Chinese goods, the spokesperson said, adding that China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises.
Also on Saturday, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) said that the unilateral measures, which are clearly against the WTO rules, will seriously undermine the confidence of relevant Chinese and U.S. industries in long-term stable cooperation, and have a negative impact on global industrial and supply chain cooperation.
China's business community strongly opposes such actions, said a CCPIT spokesperson.
The CCPIT and the China Chamber of International Commerce have always advocated for cooperation among business communities around the world. Once again, they called on the United States to respect the laws of the market economy and the principles of fair competition, immediately cease its wrongdoing, and resolutely uphold the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, the spokesperson said.
The business communities of China and the United States should enhance communication and cooperation, and resolve disputes and contradictions through consultation and dialogue, in order to achieve mutually beneficial results and promote the development of the world economy, the spokesperson added.