The Ministry of Commerce of China File photo: VCG

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Friday announced trade barrier investigations into US actions and measures that harm global production and supply chains and impede trade in green products.

MOFCOM said it will take corresponding measures based on the findings to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, a ministry spokesperson said.

According to a statement published by MOFCOM on Friday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on March 12 initiated a Section 301 investigation targeting China and 15 other economies on the grounds of so-called "structural excess capacity in manufacturing sectors." It then launched another Section 301 investigation on March 13, targeting China and 59 other economies over what it claimed was a failure to effectively prohibit imports of goods produced with forced labor.

In response to US actions, and to safeguard the interests of relevant Chinese industries, MOFCOM said it has launched two reciprocal trade barrier investigations into US practices and measures that undermine global industrial and supply chains and obstruct trade in green products, in accordance with China's Foreign Trade Law and MOFCOM rules on foreign trade barrier investigations.

Preliminary evidence and information obtained by MOFCOM indicate that the US has implemented practices and measures that seriously violate global supply chains in trade-related areas, including but not limited to restricting or prohibiting Chinese products from entering the US market, restricting or prohibiting the export of new products to China, and restricting or prohibiting mutual investment in key sectors, per a ministry statement on Friday.

These practices and measures could seriously harm the trade interests of Chinese enterprises, and some of these measures are suspected of violating WTO rules or the economic and trade agreements reached between China and the US, per a statement on the ministry's website.

The probe will look into practices and measures implemented by the US in trade-related fields that disrupt global supply chains and will be conducted by means of questionnaires, hearings, on-site investigations, among others.

The investigation should be concluded within six months from the date of the announcement and may be extended by as long as three months.

Separately, the ministry said it had obtained preliminary evidence and information indicating that the US has implemented numerous practices and measures to hinder trade in green products. These measures include but are not limited to restricting exports of green products to the US, delaying the deployment of new energy projects and restricting cooperation on green technology. 

These practices and measures may seriously harm the trade interests of Chinese enterprises, and some of these measures are suspected of violating WTO rules and other economic and trade agreements between the two countries, the ministry said.

The probe, too, should be concluded within six months and may be extended by as long as three months.