China disputes US tariffs on steel imports at WTO

China's Department of Commerce has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding US restrictions on imports of steel products.

China's Commerce Department accused Washington Thursday of "commercial protectionism under the guise of national security" and criticized this practice as "a violation of WTO rules." US customs tariffs are damaging products promoted by the Chinese authorities under the Made in China 2025 strategy.

China's finance and trade ministers said China intends to impose a 25 percent countervailing duty on more than a hundred American goods. The planned US customs tariffs and the tariffs of the Chinese response are part of the growing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies. Earlier, US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, of which China was not excluded. Beijing responded with customs duties on 128 US goods, which China imports are estimated at $ 2.75 billion a year.