The Chinese government has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Canada’s restrictions on imports that contain steel melted or poured in China. In July, Canada had announced that it would impose a 25 percent duty on products containing Chinese steel.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the move by Canada violates WTO trade rules by introducing tariff-rate quotas and discriminatory measures against Chinese-origin steel. A spokesperson from the ministry said, “Canada has disregarded WTO rules by implementing steel tariff-rate quotas and imposing discriminatory tariffs on products containing so-called Chinese steel content. This is a classic example of unilateralism and trade protectionism, undermining China's legitimate rights and interests and disrupting the stability of the global steel and other industrial supply chains.”
Call for correction
China has urged Canada to immediately correct its trade practices, reaffirm its commitment to WTO rules, and support the stability of global supply chains. Beijing also stressed the importance of maintaining the rules-based multilateral trading system to foster continued improvement in China-Canada economic and trade relations.
