China firmly opposes Canada's steel import restrictions: Commerce ministry

Photo taken on Feb. 21, 2020 shows a factory of China Baowu Steel Group Corporation Limited in Shanghai, east China. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's Ministry of Commerce said Friday that the country is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the Canadian government's recent restrictive measures on steel imports.

The remarks were made by a ministry spokesperson in response to a media query on the issue.

Canada's Department of Finance recently announced that in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and global steel overproduction, it will implement tariff rate quotas on a larger scale of imports while tightening the existing quotas starting Aug. 1, with surtaxes levied on imports beyond the quota limit. Additionally, a 25% surtax will be imposed on imports from all countries other than the United States that contain steel melted and poured in China.

Commenting on these measures, the spokesperson said they violate World Trade Organization rules, disrupt the international trade order and undermine China's interests. It is a typical act of unilateralism and protectionism.

Canada's steel industry dilemma is primarily caused by the unilateral tariff measures imposed by the United States. However, the Canadian government has avoided addressing this main issue and instead sought to shift blame for industrial losses onto other trading partners, including China, the spokesperson said.

Such actions are illogical, lack a legal basis and are counterproductive, which will seriously undermine normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Canada, according to the spokesperson.

China hopes that Canada will immediately rectify its wrong practices and lift the restrictions in the spirit of upholding the multilateral trading system and the overall economic and trade relationship between the two countries, the spokesperson said, noting that China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.