China urges US to stop planned shipbuilding, logistics, maritime curbs

The office of the US trade representative announced on February 21 that it is seeking public comment on proposed actions in the Section 301 investigation into China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors.

The proposed measures, including the imposition of port fees, are self-damaging, said a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson.

"The US measures will not only fail to revitalise its shipbuilding industry, but will also raise shipping costs on related routes, exacerbate its domestic inflation, reduce the global competitiveness of US goods, and hurt the interests of its port operators and dockworkers," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by state-controlled media reports in China.

These measures have aroused significant opposition within the United States, and relevant countries and organisations have also expressed their opposition to and dissatisfaction with the US move, the spokesperson said.

Driven by domestic political needs, the United States further undermined the World Trade Organization (WTO), which had earlier ruled that the Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules, by abusing the Section 301 investigation mechanism, the spokesperson noted.

Despite China repeatedly reaffirming its views on the Section 301 investigation and presenting a non-paper on its position urging the United States to adopt a rational and objective stance and stop blaming China for its domestic industrial problems, it is regrettable that the United States remains obstinate and is going further down the wrong path, the spokesperson added, urging the United States to stop its ‘wrongdoing’.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)