The World Trade Organization (WTO) held its first annual meeting of the Council for Trade in Goods in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 9th local time. China proactively set the agenda, expressing serious concerns over the US "reciprocal tariffs" measures and their adverse effects, and urging the US to strictly adhere to WTO rules to avoid negative impacts on the global economy and the multilateral trading system.
China's statement resonated strongly with all parties.
Forty-six WTO members, including the EU, the UK, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, South Korea, Malaysia, Brazil, Peru, Kazakhstan, and Chad, spoke under this agenda, expressing concerns over the US "reciprocal tariffs" measures and calling on the US to strictly comply with WTO rules.
China: Unilateral and arbitrary imposition of discriminatory tariffs is a typical act of bullying.
China pointed out that the multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, provides fundamental institutional guarantees for global trade. Multilateral tariff commitments based on the principle of most-favored-nation treatment ensure that all members conduct trade and cooperation in a transparent, predictable, and non-discriminatory environment. The US "reciprocal tariffs" rates far exceed its bound tariff levels committed to the WTO. The unilateral and arbitrary imposition of discriminatory tariffs severely violates the fundamental principle of most-favored-nation treatment under the WTO, representing typical unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying.
China: The so-called "reciprocal tariffs" are "prescribing the wrong medicine and taking the wrong pill."
China stated that the US is both a creator and a major beneficiary of the multilateral trading system. Judging the overall benefits in international trade based solely on the balance of goods trade is extremely one-sided. The so-called "reciprocal tariffs" are "prescribing the wrong medicine and taking the wrong pill," which not only fails to address trade imbalances but also backfires on the US itself, severely disrupting international trade order. There are no winners in tariff wars or trade wars. China calls on all WTO members to learn from history, uphold and defend multilateral trade rules, and resolve differences through multilateral dialogue and cooperation.
Multiple parties criticize "reciprocal tariffs" for disrupting international trade order.
The EU stated that the US "reciprocal tariffs" measures severely undermine the fundamental principles of the WTO and do not help resolve trade imbalances.
Members such as the UK, Canada, Japan, and South Korea criticized the US "reciprocal tariffs" measures for disrupting international trade order, destabilizing the global industry chain and supply chain, and harming the interests of producers and consumers in various countries, including the US.
Members such as Peru, Kazakhstan, and Chad condemned the US "reciprocal tariffs" for causing severe impacts on economically vulnerable developing members, particularly the least developed countries, emphasizing the importance of maintaining fair, open, transparent, inclusive, and non-discriminatory multilateral trade rules for developing members.
Relevant members emphasized that the multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, has made significant contributions to the development of international trade and will continue to actively support the WTO in playing a positive role, calling on members to resolve differences within the multilateral framework.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala issued a statement on the same day, stating that the international community must work together to maintain the openness of the international trade system. WTO members should uphold an open, rules-based trade system, and the WTO is an important platform for dialogue, making it crucial to resolve these issues within the framework of cooperation.
