The Ministry of Commerce Photo: VCG

China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday urged Canada to reject trade protectionism, while asking the Canadian side to respect facts, abide by WTO rules and create a fair and non-discriminatory market environment for the joint development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry in China and Canada.
 
He Yadong, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce, made the remarks after Canada on Monday said it was considering imposing tariffs on China-made EVs and intends to open a 30-day public consultation period on July 2.
 
In response, He Yadong said that the ministry has noticed the Canadian move, noting that China is highly concerned with the development. The growth of China’s EV industry is the result of open competition, and the continuous promotion of technological innovation, improvement of the country’s supply chain system, as well as optimization of the market ecology.
 
“Chinese EVs have been welcomed by global users, including Canadian consumers, and have made great contribution to the global response to climate change and green transformation,” He noted.
 
“Canada has long claimed to support free trade and is a beneficiary of the multilateral trading system. We urge the Canadian side not to practice protectionism in the name of fair competition. China will pay close attention to the follow-up actions of Canada and firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” he noted.
 
Canada’s recent move came after US last month unveiled steep tariff increases on Chinese imports, including EVs. The European Union also plans to impose additional duties on Chinese EV producers such as BYD, Geely and SAIC.
 
China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice president of the EC, agreed on Saturday to start consultations on the issue of the EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs. He said on Thursday that the two sides are maintaining close communication and actively advancing negotiations.
 
“We urge the EU to work with China to achieve a mutually acceptable solution through negotiations, in order to prevent any escalation of trade tensions that could harm our bilateral economic ties,” he noted.
 
 
Global Times