China says US unilateral duties grossly violate WTO rules
By unilaterally raising tariffs on Chinese imports, the United States is violating the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). A representative of the Chinese embassy in the United States said on February 2.
"The US has imposed additional 10% tariffs on Chinese imports under the pretext of the fentanyl issue. China strongly condemns and opposes this move and will take necessary countermeasures to protect its legitimate rights and interests," he clarified in a conversation with TASS.
According to the representative of the Chinese Embassy, the American side should "objectively and rationally consider and solve the fentanyl problem" independently. He also called the additional tariffs unconstructive and noted that they could harm bilateral cooperation in the fight against drugs.
Earlier in the day, Xinhua news agency, citing China's Ministry of Commerce, reported Beijing's intention to file a lawsuit in the WTO amid the imposed sanctions. In addition, the PRC plans to introduce countermeasures in response to the duties.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the introduction of trade tariffs for goods from Canada, China and Mexico on February 1. Thus, duties on imports from Mexico and Canada will amount to 25%, and on Canadian energy resources and imports from China - 10%.
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