CCTV news: According to the "China Trade Promotion" WeChat official account, the spokesperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade made a statement on the launch of a forced labor 301 investigation by the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the proposed increase in tariffs. On June 2, local time in the United States, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), in accordance with Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, investigated and determined that 60 economies failed to implement and effectively implement measures to ban the import of forced labor products, and proposed proposed measures to impose additional tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on relevant economies. Among them, China (including Hong Kong) is included in the list of economies subject to a 12.5% tax rate. The Chinese business community expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this.
We noticed that this survey covers 60 economies, involving major trading partners around the world, and has a wide range of impacts. The United States initiated a Section 301 investigation and planned to take tariff measures on the grounds that it "failed to establish and effectively implement the forced labor import ban". In essence, it is applying US domestic standards and unilateral rules to other economies, which lacks the basis of international law and deviates from the rules of the multilateral trading system. The US conclusion that relevant measures weaken the goal of eliminating forced labor and distort market competition lacks sufficient factual support. The relevant measures use tariffs to exert policy pressure, which are obviously unilateralist and protectionist. Differential tax rate arrangements clearly violate the principles of non-discrimination and fair competition.
The Chinese business community calls on the United States to respect objective facts, stop generalizing and abusing trade restrictive measures, return to the rules-based multilateral trading system, properly handle economic and trade differences through dialogue and consultation, and jointly maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains. The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade will continue to serve as a bridge and link, support enterprises in strengthening compliance construction and risk response, and promote the deepening of pragmatic cooperation between the business circles of China, the United States and other countries.
