China firmly opposes U.S. tariffs, to take countermeasure

China firmly opposes the United States' tariff measures based on the so-called Section 232 investigation, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

He Yadong, the spokesperson, said at a regular press conference that the Section 232 tariff measures have long been adjudicated by the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement system as in violation of the rule-based multilateral trading system.

By imposing tariffs based on the so-called Section 232 auto investigation report from six years ago, the United States has once again used national security as a pretext for trade protectionism.

This action has drawn strong dissatisfaction from many trading partners, according to the spokesperson.

China's Ministry of Commerce spokesperson, He Yadong.

The global automotive industry heavily relies on cross-border production and supply chains, the spokesperson said, adding that artificially severing industrial and supply chain connections between the United States and other regions can neither protect U.S. national security nor benefit its domestic industries. Instead, they only expose the unilateralist, protectionist, and bullyism nature of the U.S. policies.

Meanwhile, in response to the US' announcement of "reciprocal tariffs" on all its trade partners, China's commerce ministry also said on Thursday that China strongly opposes the move and will firmly take countermeasures to safeguard its own interests. 

"There is no winner in a trade war, and protectionism leads nowhere. China urges the US to immediately remove unilateral tariffs and resolve differences with trade partners through dialogue," a ministry spokesperson said.

Amid widespread opposition, US President Donald Trump declared a "national emergency" and announced a sweeping "reciprocal" tariff policy on Wednesday US time, setting a baseline tariff of 10 percent on all imported goods, with higher tariffs on many countries, according to US media.

This undated file photo shows the entrance to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, capital of China. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

The plan imposes steep tariff rates on many countries, including 49 percent on Cambodia, 46 percent on Vietnam, 34 percent on China, 24 percent tariff on Japan, 20 percent on the EU, US media reported, noting that more than 180 countries and regions will face tariffs.

The US claims that it has suffered losses in international trade and is using so-called "reciprocity" as a justification to raise tariffs on all its trading partners. This approach disregards the balance of interests achieved through years of multilateral trade negotiations and ignores the fact that the US has long reaped substantial benefits from international trade, the MOFCOM spokesperson said.

"The so-called 'reciprocal tariffs,' determined based on unilateral and subjective assessments, violate international trade rules, severely undermine the legitimate rights and interests of relevant parties, and represent a typical act of unilateral bullying. Many trading partners have already expressed strong dissatisfaction and clear opposition to this move," the spokesperson said.

History has proven that raising tariffs does not solve US' own problems — it harms US interests while also threatening global economic growth and the stability of industrial and supply chains, the spokesperson said.

(Xinhua & Global Times)