China threatens to retaliate over US heavy duties on products

China today questioned the US ruling to levy heavy duties on several of its products and vowed to retaliate amid concerns of trade war between the world's top two economies under Donald Trump's presidency.
The US Department of Commerce decided on Wednesday to impose anti-dumping duties of 162.47 per cent for imports of amorphous silica fabric, 68.27 per cent for carbon and alloy steel and 493.46 per cent for ammonium sulfate from China.
The department also set final anti-subsidy duties ranging between 48.94 per cent and 165.39 per cent for imports of amorphous silica fabric, 251 per cent for carbon and alloy steel, and 206.72 per cent for ammonium sulfate from China.

The China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) vowed to take necessary measures to protect the rights of Chinese companies, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
MOC trade official Wang Hejun said that China questioned the US decision and investigation procedures on the three products, and the US authorities had ignored the evidence submitted by Chinese enterprises and deprived them of a right of defence.
He said that the US had abused trade remedy measures regardless of trade rules, and that China was gravely concerned. He added that Chinese companies in the industries were strongly dissatisfied with the decision.

Wang urged the US to abide by the World Trade Organization rules, strictly follow the investigation procedures and take trade remedy measures in a prudent, reasonable and restrained way.

The stiff statement came hours before Trump's inauguration.
For its part, China bracing for a likely showdown as Trump vowed during his campaign that he will respond to unfair Beijing trade tactics by raising tariffs on Chinese goods by possibly imposing other penalties.