BEIJING — China’s commerce minister criticized new trade enforcement measures approved by the U.S. Congress as a violation of free trade but acknowledged Wednesday that some local Chinese authorities might be improperly subsidizing exporters.
Chen Deming said Beijing is committed to following World Trade Organization free-trade principles but insisted it is not bound by the laws of individual countries.
“The recent move by the U.S. Congress is not consistent with U.S. laws and WTO rules,” Chen said at a news conference during the annual meeting of China’s legislature.
The House of Representatives approved a measure Tuesday affirming the powers of the Commerce Department to impose higher duties on goods from China and other state-dominated economies that subsidize exports. The Senate approved the measure Monday.
The measure is a response to a U.S. court ruling in December that Commerce lacked the authority to impose such duties. The bill would ensure that 24 existing tariff orders — 23 of them directed at Chinese subsidies — and six pending investigations remain valid. The other order is directed at Vietnam.
Chen appealed for a “heart-to-heart dialogue” with the U.S. over what constitutes a subsidy, noting that Washington provided aid to American automakers following the 2008 financial crisis.
