Wang Hejun, director of the Bureau of Trade Relief Investigation of China's Ministry of Commerce, has released a statement regarding the US Department of Commerce’s recommendations in the Section 232 investigation.
Mr. Wang said that the findings of the Section 232 investigation have no basis and are totally inconsistent with the facts, adding that the EU, Canada, Russia, China, South Africa, South Korea, Vietnam and other countries and regions all proved that their exports to the United States have not caused any injury to the US domestic market.
The Ministry of Commerce official pointed out that the scope of "national security" is very wide and its lack of a unified definition can easily lead to abuse. He stressed that in recent years global economic recovery and demand growth have been sluggish, going on to say that China urges the United States to exercise restraint in using trade protection tools and show compliance with multilateral trade rules so as to make a positive contribution to the international economic and trade order. “If the final decision of the United States affects China's interests, China will definitely take the necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights,” the statement concluded.