China Urges U.S. to Repeal Drone Tariffs
China on Thursday urged the United States to immediately repeal Section 232 tariffs on drones and drone parts, saying the measures harm Chinese firms and disrupt global supply chains.
He Yadong, Spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce, made the call at a regular media briefing in Beijing.
He said China had consistently opposed the U.S. Section 232 measures, describing them as unilateral and protectionist actions imposed under the pretext of national security.
According to him, Chinese drones exported to the United States are mainly used for civilian purposes.
He listed agriculture, equipment inspection, and film and television entertainment among their applications.
He said the U.S. measures overstretched the concept of national security while imposing differentiated tariffs on trading partners.
The spokesperson said the tariffs also discriminated against relevant Chinese products and undermined fair market competition.
“China firmly opposes this,” he said.
He also rejected a U.S. allegation of a “shadow transshipment network,” calling it a false narrative and a fabrication.
He said a U.S. report titled “The Great Transshipment Scam: Rise, Scope, and Costs” distorted facts by portraying normal international trade and investment as a scam.
According to him, the report represented unilateralism and protectionism aimed at restricting Chinese products.
“China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this”, he added.
He said excessively high and differentiated U.S. tariffs were the fundamental cause of threats to global industrial and supply chains.
He noted that attributing domestic economic problems to external factors would not resolve the United States’ underlying challenges.
He urged Washington to stop what he described as “irresponsible accusations and actions undermining China-U.S. economic and trade relations.”
He also called on the United States to safeguard the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
He said China would continue to conduct economic and trade cooperation with all parties on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
He added that China would work with partners to build mutually beneficial trade networks and contribute to global development and prosperity.#China Urges U.S. to Repeal Drone Tariffs#China’s Imports From Nigeria Rose by $2.3bn in 6 Months — Envoy
