An official with China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday that the latest U.S. decision to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum products would "have huge impact on normal international trade order."
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that the United States was set to impose 25 percent of tariff on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminum to protect the domestic industries, citing national security concerns.
"The steel and aluminum products imported by the United States are middle- and low-end products for civil use, which by no means hurt U.S. national security," Wang Hejun, head of the MOC trade remedy and investigation bureau, said in a statement.
The U.S. practice "seriously damages multilateral trade mechanisms represented by the WTO and will surely have huge impact on normal international trade order," Wang said. "Possible U.S. measures have already been opposed by the EU, Canada, Brazil, the Republic of Korea and other countries and regions, while some U.S. industry associations have also expressed their discontent."
"If the final measures of the United States hurt Chinese interests, China will work with other affected countries in taking measures to safeguard its own rights and interests," Wang said. "We hope the U.S. side respects the authority of the multilateral trade system, works with other countries to maintain normal global trade order and consolidates the foundation for world economic recovery."
