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China expresses strong dissatisfaction at two trade investigations launched by US |
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15:51, April 30, 2009 |
China believes possible US investigation into China's steel products lacks factual evidence
China negotiates on two trade investigations recently launched by the US
China's Ministry of Commerce said on April 30 that the trade investigations that the US launched against Chinese-made oil well pipes and tires have triggered intense dissatisfaction among the Chinese public and industry. The Chinese government has expressed its grave concern regarding the two cases.
On April 29 Washington time, the US Department of Commerce announced that on April 28 it had decided to initiate a combination of anti-dumping and countervailing investigations on Chinese-made oil well tubing products. On the same day, the US International Trade Commission announced to launch a special safeguard investigation into Chinese-made tires.
Yao Jian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce, stressed that oil well pipes are the main steel product that China exports to the US. The US administrative authority's decision to initiate a combination of anti-dumping and countervailing investigations against this product will severely affect the healthy development of the China-US steel trade. It will also exert negative impact on related domestic industries in the US.
Furthermore, such an approach will send an erroneous signal of trade protectionism to US society and the international community, which will trigger detrimental consequences. China expresses firm opposition to the decision.
The special safeguard investigation on Chinese-made tires follows a similar investigation launched more than three years ago by the US. This time the case involves a huge amount of money. Yao pointed out that the provision on special safeguard measures in the Protocol on the Accession of the People's Republic of China to the WTO was formed under specific historical conditions, and is a group of restrictive measures specially designed to be taken against imports of Chinese products that lacks objective criteria and fairness and is poor in terms of procedural transparency. The Chinese government has long expressed that it will pay serious attention on any special safeguard investigation launched based on the provision.
Yao said that the financial crisis has caused demand in the global tire market to drop, which is the main reason why domestic industry in the US was faring poorly and that restricting imports of Chinese products will not solve the actual problems confronting the US domestic industry. In addition, many problems exist with the investigation applications in many respects, including the applications' representativeness of the domestic industry, and the accuracy and sufficiency of the proof contained therein.
Relevant Ministry of Commerce officials have already negotiated with the US in connection with these two cases. The launch of a special safeguard investigation by the relevant US administrative authority under these circumstances is a discriminative approach against Chinese products, amounting to a misuse of those special safeguard measures.
Yao stressed that it is hoped that the US will strictly adhere to WTO rules and will make rulings based on objective fact, adding that it will be even more inappropriate to use special safeguard investigations as a tool to implement trade protectionism against China.
By People's Daily Online
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