Canada’s new 25% levy targeting steel originating from China violates WTO rules, hurts its own economy: expert

专家：加拿大对原产于中国的钢铁征收25%的新税违反了世贸组织规则，损害了本国经济

A staffer works in a steel company that makes high-end automotive spring steel in Ma'anshan, East China's Anhui Province on June 24, 2025. Chinese companies are advancing their efforts in new quality productive forces, a new development paradigm, to improve total factor productivity. Photo: VCG

2025年6月24日，中国东部安徽省马鞍山市，一名员工在一家生产高端汽车弹簧钢的钢铁公司工作。中国企业正在推进新质量生产力、新发展格局，提高全要素生产率。照片：VCG

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday local time an additional 25 percent tariff on steel products imported from China as part of his latest measures to "stabilize the domestic steel market and prevent harmful trade diversion." Chinese experts slammed the move as a "blatant violation" of WTO rules and a misguided attempt to blindly follow the US' unilateralist trade policies.

加拿大总理马克·卡尼当地时间周三宣布，对从中国进口的钢铁产品加征25%的关税，这是他“稳定国内钢铁市场和防止有害的贸易转移”最新措施的一部分。中国专家抨击此举“公然违反”世贸组织规则，是盲目追随美国单边主义贸易政策的错误尝试。

Canada will implement additional tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports from all non-US countries containing steel melted and poured in China before the end of July, according to an official news release on the PM's official website.

根据总理官方网站上的官方新闻稿，加拿大将在7月底之前对来自所有非美国国家的进口钢铁征收25%的额外关税，这些钢铁含有在中国熔化和浇注的钢铁。

Moreover, Canada will also tighten the tariff rate quota (TRQ) levels for imported steel products from non-FTA countries rolled out in June from 100 percent to 50 percent of 2024 volumes. Above those levels, a 50 percent tariff will apply.

此外，加拿大还将从6月份推出的非自贸协定国家进口钢铁产品的关税配额（TRQ）水平从2024年数量的100%收紧至50%。高于这些水平，将征收50%的关税。

Last month, the Canadian government announced the implementation of TRQ on imported steel products, per a government's official news release published in June 19, which means that countries that do not have an FTA with Canada, including China, would be subject to 50 percent tariffs if their steel shipments to Canada exceed 2024 levels.

根据加拿大政府6月19日发布的官方新闻稿，上个月，加拿大政府宣布对进口钢铁产品实施TRQ，这意味着包括中国在内与加拿大没有自由贸易协定的国家将被征收50%的关税。如果他们对加拿大的钢铁出货量超过2024年的水平，则征收关税。

However, Canadian steel officials complained that this would not be enough to protect the domestic industry from what they feared would be a surge of foreign steel, according to a New York Times report, which cited these concerns as a reason for Carney's decision to "ratchet up the pressure" on Wednesday.

然而，据《纽约时报》报道，加拿大钢铁官员抱怨说，这不足以保护国内行业免受他们担心的外国钢铁激增的影响，该报援引这些担忧作为卡尼决定周三“加大压力”的原因。

The Canadian government said in June's statement that it will adjust its existing counter-tariffs on steel and aluminum products on July 21 to levels consistent with progress that has been made in the broader trading arrangement with the US.

加拿大政府在6月份的声明中表示，将于7月21日将现有的钢铁和铝产品反关税调整至与美国更广泛贸易安排取得的进展一致的水平。

US President Donald Trump introduced 25 percent tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum on March 12, and doubled the levies to 50 percent in early June, a move that has set off turmoil in markets around the world, including in Canada, where steel is an important industry.

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普于3月12日对所有进口钢铁和铝征收25%的关税，并于6月初将关税提高一倍至50%，此举引发了全球市场的动荡，包括钢铁是重要行业的加拿大。

Cui Fan, a professor at the School of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, described Canada's move targeting China as a "blatant violation" of WTO rules, calling it one of the most negative examples of how the unilateral trade practices launched by the US are now spilling over to other countries.

对外经济贸易大学国际贸易与经济学院教授崔凡将加拿大针对中国的举动描述为“公然违反”世贸组织规则，称这是美国发起的单边贸易行为现在如何蔓延到其他国家的最负面的例子之一。

"This poses a serious threat to the multilateral trading system. If more countries follow suit, it could severely undermine the WTO framework and place the global economy in a highly precarious position," he warned.

他警告说：“这对多边贸易体系构成严重威胁。如果更多国家效仿，可能会严重破坏世贸组织框架，并将全球经济置于高度不稳定的境地。”

Cui also criticized Canada's policy as "clearly discriminatory," as its announcement presumes Chinese threats without substantive evidence while singling out Chinese steel products for tariff hikes—a clear breach of the WTO's principle of non-discrimination.

崔还批评加拿大的政策“明显具有歧视性”，因为其声明在没有实质性证据的情况下假定了中国的威胁，同时挑出中国钢铁产品提高关税——这明显违反了世贸组织的非歧视原则。

In fact, China's steel exports have minimal actual impact on Canada's domestic industry, representing only a negligible share of total imports, Zhao Xingshu, deputy director of the department of Canadian studies, Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

中国社会科学院美国研究所加拿大研究部副主任赵兴树周四告诉《环球时报》，事实上，中国钢铁出口对加拿大国内工业的实际影响微乎其微，在进口总额中只占微不足道的份额。

Industry Canada data shows more than $16 billion in steel imports in 2024, almost half of which is from the US, and about 10 percent from China. Canada exported more than $12 billion in steel — 91 percent to the US and 4 percent to Mexico, according to a Canadian Press report.

加拿大工业部数据显示，2024年钢铁进口额将超过160亿美元，其中近一半来自美国，约10%来自中国。据加拿大媒体报道，加拿大出口了超过120亿美元的钢铁，其中91%出口到美国，4%出口到墨西哥。

Cui emphasized that while Canada's new tariffs and TRQ restrictions may create short-term trade barriers and boost domestic steel and aluminum production, this will come at a significant cost - raising costs across downstream industries and ultimately undermining the country's overall economic competitiveness.

崔强调，虽然加拿大的新关税和TRQ限制可能会造成短期贸易壁垒，并提振国内钢铁和铝产量，但这将大幅提高下游行业的成本，并最终削弱该国的整体经济竞争力。

'Wrong practice' against China

针对中国的“错误做法”

Since last year, Canada has imposed a series of tariffs and trade restrictions on China. Canada hiked tariffs in October 2024 on electric vehicles (EVs) and steel and aluminum products imported from China, prompting the Chinese side to initiate an anti-discrimination probe in September, according to Xinhua News Agency.

去年以来，加拿大对中国实施了一系列关税和贸易限制措施。据新华社报道，加拿大于2024年10月提高了对从中国进口的电动汽车和钢铝产品的关税，促使中方于9月启动反歧视调查。

In March, China announced additional tariffs on imported rapeseed oil, oil cakes, and peas originating from Canada, as well as aquatic products and pork, based on the ruling of an anti-discrimination probe.

3月，中国根据反歧视调查的裁决，宣布对原产于加拿大的进口菜籽油、油饼、豌豆以及水产品和猪肉加征关税。

In a recent move that has sparked tensions, the Canadian government ordered Chinese surveillance camera maker Hikvision to cease operations in the country over so-called national security concerns, a decision that China has condemned as a "wrong practice" that disrupts normal economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

最近引发紧张局势的举动是，加拿大政府出于所谓的国家安全考虑，命令中国监控摄像头制造商海康威视停止在该国的业务，中国谴责这一决定是扰乱正常经济的“错误做法”。两国之间的贸易合作。

Zhao highlighted that Canada's latest tariff policy reflects a consistent approach toward China that dates back to the Trudeau administration, which also struggled to avoid pressure from the US.

赵强调，加拿大最新的关税政策反映了对中国的一贯态度，这种态度可以追溯到特鲁多政府，该政府也在努力避免来自美国的压力。

The share of China-Canada trade in each country's total trade volume is relatively small, she noted. "However, given Canada's much smaller economy compared to China's, any disruption in bilateral trade would likely cause greater harm to Canadian industries and its economy," according to Zhao.

她指出，中加贸易在两国贸易总额中所占的份额相对较小。“然而，鉴于加拿大的经济规模比中国小得多，双边贸易的任何中断都可能对加拿大工业和经济造成更大的损害，”赵说。

Cui pointed to China's open and rational attitude to bilateral economic and trade ties, which stands in contrast with Canada's unilateral actions.

崔指出，中国对双边经贸关系持开放和理性的态度，这与加拿大的单边行动形成鲜明对比。

Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di said in June, during an interview with Canadian media, that the China-Canada relationship is fundamentally mutually beneficial, and pragmatic bilateral cooperation not only supports both nation's economic development but also contributes to greater global stability and certainty.

中国驻加拿大大使王迪6月在接受加拿大媒体采访时表示，中加关系本质上是互利的，双边务实合作不仅支持两国经济发展，也有助于全球更大的稳定性和确定性。

Heightened trade strains

贸易紧张加剧

Tensions over tariff issues between the US and Canada have been escalating in recent weeks, as the two sides have yet to reach a workable trade agreement.

最近几周，美国和加拿大之间在关税问题上的紧张局势不断升级，因为双方尚未达成可行的贸易协议。

"The trade actions of the United States are further transforming global steel market dynamics and supply chains," Carney told reporters on Wednesday, according to the New York Times report. "Canada will be one of the countries most impacted by these developments."

据《纽约时报》报道，卡尼周三对记者表示：“美国的贸易行动正在进一步改变全球钢铁市场动态和供应链。”“加拿大将是受这些事态发展影响最严重的国家之一。”

US President Donald Trump said last week that the US will impose a 35 percent tariff on imports from Canada from the beginning of August. In response, Carney said in a social media post that "throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses."

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普上周表示，美国将从8月初开始对来自加拿大的进口商品征收35%的关税。对此，卡尼在社交媒体发文称，“在当前与美国的贸易谈判中，加拿大政府坚定不移地捍卫我们的工人和企业。”

Recent trade tensions between the US and Canada have grown more complicated, with difficult negotiations over issues such as softwood lumber, dairy, digital services taxes, and auto parts, Zhao said, adding that the way these disputes play out could also indirectly influence Canada's policy stance toward China.

赵说，最近美国和加拿大之间的贸易紧张局势变得更加复杂，在软木、乳制品、数字服务税和汽车零部件等问题上进行了艰难的谈判，并补充说，这些争端的发展方式也可能间接影响加拿大对中国的政策立场。

However, she called on Canadian policymakers to recognize the strong economic complementarity between China and Canada. "For instance, Canada's abundant natural resources (energy and minerals) perfectly align with China's massive demand as a leading energy importer, presenting vast potential for bilateral cooperation," Zhao said.

不过，她呼吁加拿大决策者认识到中加两国在经济上的强大互补性。“例如，加拿大丰富的自然资源（能源和矿产）与中国作为主要能源进口国的巨大需求完美契合，为双边合作提供了巨大潜力，”赵说。