(Yicai) Nov. 21 -- China criticized the Canadian government for hiking tariffs on electric cars and other goods imported from China, and admonished the US government for instigating another probe into China’s shipping industry at a recent meeting of the World Trade Organization. The country representative pointed out that such actions are a type of trade protectionism and undermine the WTO’s multilateral rules-based trading system.

Canada’s imposition of a 100 percent additional duty on new energy vehicles made in China, and a further 25 percent tax on imports of steel and aluminum, effective Oct. 1, is a form of unilateralism and trade protectionism and goes against the country’s commitment to the WTO not to mention causing disruption to the global supply chain, Yicai learned from an authoritative source citing the China representative at a WTO Market Access Committee meeting held on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20.

China already lodged a formal complaint against Canada with the WTO in September regarding the increased taxes on China-made EVs, steel and aluminum, which were announced in August.

In September, the North American country also announced plans to impose surtaxes on batteries and their components, semiconductors, solar products and key minerals imported from China.

Chinese delegates also expressed concern at the meeting about the new Section 301 investigation launched by the Office of the US Trade Representative against China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries in April. The office is required to make a final determination within 12 months of the start of the investigation and to take action within 30 days of the ruling.

This probe lacks factual basis and defies economic common sense, they said. The move will not promote the recovery of the supply chain, but rather will disrupt the global industrial and supply chains, they added.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor