China worried over proposed changes in US trade remedies

The U.S. Commerce Department proposed 14 measures to strengthen enforcement of trade remedy laws on Aug. 26, and the measures mainly target non-market economies, which are cause for deep concern in China, said an official from the Bureau of Fair Trade for Imports and Exports under the Ministry of Commerce on Sept. 1.

The 14 proposals aim to strengthen trade enforcement and improve current trade remedy laws concerning antidumping and countervailing duties. Among other aspects, they will also focus on eliminating the practice of allowing individual foreign export companies to seek exception from an antidumping or countervailing duty order in certain circumstances.

According to the official, China believes that since U.S. courts have made rulings on certain problems involved in the proposals — one of the rulings banned the U.S. Commerce Department from changing export taxes and value-added taxes in antidumping methodology –- any changes that violate the rulings will undermine the legality and justifiability of trade remedy investigations

The official added that if the United States wants to double its exports, it should make efforts to enhance its industrial competitiveness and help build an open international trading system. Limiting imports through adjusting trade remedy measures will only give rise to a chain reaction in other countries and regions as well as sabotage the international trade order and rules rather than strengthen its own competitiveness.

China hopes the United States will be prudent in dealing with trade remedies, strictly comply with the WTO's anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws and not use trade remedy measures as a tool of protectionism.

By People's Daily Online