China Challenges Canada’s Steel and Aluminum Tariffs at WTO

China has filed a request for dispute consultations at the World Trade Organization over Canadian surtaxes and quotas on steel and aluminum, the trade body said Wednesday. The contested measures include tariff-rate quotas on steel imports from non-free trade partners, such as China, and a surtax on goods containing Chinese-origin steel or aluminum. Last month, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada would impose 25% tariffs on steel imports made with Chinese steel by the end of July to protect the domestic industry. Trade Ministry spokesman Huzaif Qaisar defended the move, saying, “We will not hesitate to act when our industries are threatened by unfair practices,” adding the measures target “China’s overcapacity and non-market behavior, which are undermining Canada’s steel sector and threatening Canadian jobs.”