China's commerce ministry criticizes US solar tariff extension

BEIJING -- China's commerce ministry on Saturday criticized a recent extension of US tariffs on imported solar products, calling the move unhelpful to the photovoltaic industry and disruptive to the global trade order.

The US government announced Friday that the levies due to expire Sunday would remain effective for another four years as advised by the US International Trade Commission.

"Despite strong opposition from relevant parties at home and abroad, the US government insisted on extending the measures under Section 201," said an official of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) in a statement to answer media questions.

The move is unhelpful to the healthy development of the US domestic industry and distorts the regular international trade order of solar products, said the official.

The United States started to impose the up-to-30-percent tariffs on solar cells and modules in 2018, the first time for the US government to use the so-called Section 201, an outdated tool under a rarely used Trade Act of 1974, to unilaterally impose tariffs or other trade restrictions on imports since 2001.

Over the past decade, the United States has put in place several trade restrictions on imported photovoltaic products, the MOC official said.

The official stressed the significance of solar products to tackling climate change and for countries around the globe to deliver their goals of greenhouse emission cuts.

Given the urgency in climate change and the importance of a clean energy shift, China is ready to continue cooperation with other countries to promote low greenhouse gas emissions, climate resilience, and sustainable development, the official said.

The official called for concrete actions from the United States to help address climate change, promote global free trade, including new energy products, and uphold the rule-based multilateral trading system.

The official urged the United States to contribute to the global economy on low greenhouse gas emissions and the well-being of all human beings.