CHINA and South Korea today hit out at a United States decision to impose stinging tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines, which marked the latest salvo in US President Donald Trump’s “America First” drive.

The US president approved the steep tariffs – up to 50% on large washing machines over three years and up to 30% on solar panels over four years – to protect US producers, US trade officials said.

But, South Korea, which signed a free-trade agreement with former President George W. Bush, immediately said it would file a petition against the US at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The country’s Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong said the tariffs were “excessive” and may constitute a “violation of WTO provisions”.

Samsung, South Korea’s biggest firm, said the tariffs were “a tax on every consumer who wants to buy a washing machine”.

In Beijing, the commerce ministry warned that “together with other WTO members, China will resolutely defend its legitimate interests”, though it did not indicate any specific counteraction.

The US’ moves “not only aroused the concern of many trading partners but was also strongly opposed by many local governments and downstream enterprises in the US”, the ministry said, in a statement attributed to Wang Hejun, the director of the trade remedy and investigation bureau.

Beijing “expresses its strong dissatisfaction”, Wang said.

China is the US’ biggest trade partner nation, but Trump has often hit out at what he calls unfair practices by Beijing, accusing it of killing US jobs.

While running for office, Trump threatened to pull out of the WTO. His hostility to the world trade body has not let up while in office.

Last Friday, the Geneva-based body sided with Beijing in setting a firm date this summer for Washington to implement a ruling faulting the US’ anti-dumping measures against Chinese products.  

The US had previously lost a case with China on how it calculated the price of imports to determine predatory pricing, and said in June last year that it would implement the panel’s recommendations within a “reasonable” timeframe.

The WTO arbitrator gave Washington until August 22 to implement the ruling. – AFP, January 23, 2018.