The U.S. government on Friday, September 11, announced the adoption of protective measures against Chinese tires shipped. Two days later, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) declared that China also launched anti-dumping and anti-sublimities probes into some commodities produced in the United States.
The quotas of some imported US car products and chicken meat under investigation are worth about 2 billion US dollars, more or less the same as the quota of Chinese tires exported to the U.S. This move of China's is bound to be regarded as its trade response to U.S. trade.
The Chinese tire import case is undoubtedly the first-ever special protective measure taken against China, and "the U.S. proposal cannot hold any water." Even the U.S. tire industry -- the target subjected to the protection in name from this move – has adopted an opposite attitude. Hence, China has an ample reason to take one-sidedly countermeasures against it.
If protectionist forces in a trade partner instigate trade disputes against China to undermine its interests but without paying prices for it, then the protectionist forces in that trade partner would attract more followers.
As China seldom resort to prompt measures in trade disputes with other nations, trade protectionists in some countries alleged while advocating for the imposition of trade protectionism against the country: "Since we impose restrictions upon China's exports, there is still an increase rather than a decrease in the amount of imports from China. Then, why shouldn't we impose trade restriction on Chinese goods? If general public witnesses a real risk which neither side would win or gain, the capacity of the protectionist forces to agitate ordinary people would weaken considerably.
China was seriously concerned over the U.S.'three anti-dumping, countervailing duty investigations against steel products from China within 10 days and over threats to improve specific safeguard measures or quotas on Chinese textiles and textile products entering the U.S.
All this has boiled down to an eloquent proof that the U.S. trade protectionist forces have gained much ground and it is essential or imperative for China to resort to counter-measures, so as to check or contain such actions.
Why should China strongly oppose and take counter-measures against U.S protectionist tariffs on tires from China? It is because China needs to halt as early as possible the trade protectionist tendency at the early stage of a new U.S. administration. External trade decision-making power is vested with the U.S. Congress, which is entitled to manipulate the nation's trade policies. Moreover, the position of lone superpower has also stimulated the swell of the U.S. trade protectionism.
Today, President Barack Obama still enjoys a record support rate as his "honeymoon" period is yet to end, and so he does not need to depend heavily on the trade protectoral policies. With the passage of his "honeymoon" period and a subsequent loss of his political support to some extent, however, President Barack Obama will have to turn increasingly to the trade protectionist forces for help.
China has responded to U.S. protective measures based on its own anti-dumping and anti-subsidy laws and in line with the relevant WTO rules. This not only indicates China's intention to administer or run things in compliance with law and related procedures to help the U.S. and other trade partners to keep a sober mind and seek opportunities to settle issues with its rational measures. As for whether or not the opportunity could be grasped, it would hinge on China's trade partner itself.
By People's Daily Online and contributed by Mei Xinyu, a noted researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Chinese Ministry of Commerce
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