China’s steel and metals associations called on Friday for Beijing to retaliate against U.S. tariffs on aluminium and steel imports, as a widely read tabloid said the country will not be bullied by threats of a trade war with the world’s top economy.
In the most explicit threat yet in an escalating trade spat, two leading industry bodies said producers strongly oppose the duties, and urged the government to take “resolute measures” against U.S. imports ranging from stainless steel to coal and electronics.
U.S. President Donald Trump pressed ahead with the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminium on Thursday, to counter cheap imports, especially from China.
“Trump’s behaviour is a challenge to the global steel industry and will definitely encounter opposition from more countries,” the China Iron & Steel Association (CISA) said in a statement on its website.
“CISA appeals for the Chinese government to take resolute measures against imports of some U.S. products including stainless steel, galvanized sheet, seamless pipe, coal, agriculture products and electronic products,” the industry body said. Its comments were echoed in a separate statement by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said the country would assess any damage caused by the U.S. move and “firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests.” It urged the United States to withdraw the measures as quickly as possible.
The dispute has fuelled concerns that soybeans, the United States’ most valuable export to the world’s No. 2 economy, might be caught up in the trade actions after Beijing launched a probe into imports of U.S. sorghum, a grain used in animal feed and liquor.
Source: Reuters
