China’s business community has voiced strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to a proposed U.S. tariff measure targeting dozens of economies, including China, over allegations related to forced labor, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).
The CCPIT stated that the U.S. investigation and proposed tariff plan attempt to extend domestic U.S. standards and unilateral rules to other economies, lacking a basis in international law and running counter to the principles of the multilateral trading system.
The organization also said that U.S. claims that the targeted economies undermine efforts to eliminate forced labor or distort market competition are not supported by sufficient evidence. Using tariffs as a policy tool, it argued, reflects unilateralism and protectionism.
The proposed differentiated tariff arrangements were described as violating principles of non-discrimination and fair competition under global trade rules.
China’s business community urged the United States to respect facts, refrain from abusing trade restrictions, return to a rules-based multilateral trading system, and resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation. It also called for joint efforts to safeguard the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
