According to news reports today, China has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against Donald Trump’s Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. China alleges the tariffs violate international trade rules, and the country has reportedly requested 60 days of consultations with the US. If that fails, according to the WTO, the next step could be for China’s government to request a ruling from a panel of trade experts.
In late March, China’s government issued a list of US goods worth $3 billion including pork, apples and steel pipes that the country might target for retaliation if Trump fails to negotiate a settlement to the tariff dispute. Trump has also threatened to increase duties on $50 billion of Chinese goods in a separate conflict of technology policy.
While China used to be a major source of US steel imports, peaking in 2015 with 2,161,101 mt, severe antidumping/countervailing duties have dropped annual US imports of Chinese steel to 740,126 mt in 2017.