US urged to stop proposed restrictions on China's maritime, logistics, shipbuilding sectors

BEIJING -- China on Sunday urged the United States to stop its wrongdoing in proposing to impose restrictive measures on China's maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors as part of its Section 301 investigation.

The proposed measures, including the imposition of port fees, are self-damaging, said a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce. "The US measures will not only fail to revitalize its shipbuilding industry but will also raise shipping costs on related routes, exacerbate its domestic inflation, reduce the global competitiveness of US goods, and hurt the interests of its port operators and dockworkers," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that these measures have aroused significant opposition within the United States, and relevant countries and organizations have also expressed their opposition to and dissatisfaction with the US move.

Earlier, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled that the Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules. Driven by domestic political needs, the United States further undermined the multilateral trading system by abusing the Section 301 investigation mechanism, the spokesperson noted.

Since March 2024, China and the United States have communicated multiple times regarding the US investigation into China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors.

The spokesperson said China has repeatedly reaffirmed its views on the Section 301 investigation and presented the non-paper on its position, urging the United States to adopt a rational and objective stance and stop blaming China for its domestic industrial problems.

However, it is regrettable that the United States remains obstinate and is going further down the wrong path, the spokesperson added.

China urged the United States to respect the facts and multilateral rules and stop its wrongdoing, the spokesperson said, noting that China will closely monitor US actions and take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced on Feb 21 that it is seeking public comment on proposed actions in the Section 301 investigation into China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors.