Beijing has expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with Canada’s decision to impose a 100% tariff on imports of Chinese electric cars, a sector that Ottawa and Washington say is state-backed and therefore violates “fair competition” rules.
The Chinese embassy in Canada said in a statement that “China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the decision.
The statement stressed that Beijing “will take all necessary measures” to protect its interests.
The Chinese position came a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his country would impose a 100% tariff on imports of Chinese electric cars in line with US measures seeking to stop the flow of these cars to North America.
Trudeau accused China, one of the world’s largest exporters of electric cars, of “not playing by the same rules as other countries” regarding environmental and labor standards, and also revealed an additional 25% tax on imports of steel and aluminum products from China.
In recent months, the United States and the European Union have imposed tariffs on Chinese electric cars of 100% and 38%, respectively.