China Criticizes US Steel Duties, Defends Rare Earth Export Controls
China this week criticized the Trump administration's decision to double tariffs on steel and aluminum, saying the tariffs will backfire on the U.S. and “seriously disrupt the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain.”
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Beijing urges the U.S. to “respect economic laws, abandon zero-sum thinking, stop generalizing and abusing the concept of national security, and work with all parties to maintain the rules-based multilateral trading system, resolve respective concerns through equal dialogue, and jointly maintain the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain,” a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said during a June 5 regularly scheduled press conference to take journalists' questions, according to an unofficial translation.
Beijing also again defended itself against accusations from the EU, the U.S. and others that Beijing is withholding exports of critical minerals and other rare earths (see 2505300002). The spokesperson said China has a right to impose export controls on those items.
Rare earths “have obvious dual-use attributes, and it is an internationally accepted practice to impose export controls on them,” the spokesperson said. “The Chinese government reviews applications for export licenses related to dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations, and will approve applications that meet the requirements to promote convenient and compliant trade.”