Chinese industry groups on Friday voiced firm opposition to the U.S. move to cancel duty-free treatment for low-value packages from China.
This follows the U.S. administration’s announcement that, starting May 2, packages valued up to 800 U.S. dollars from the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will no longer be exempt from duties.
The China National Light Industry Council said in a statement that the U.S. move disrupts the normal trade order between China and the United States, affects global industrial cooperation, and undermines the rights and interests of consumers, including those in the United States.
Calling it a self-defeating action, the industry group started the move not only undermines the stability of global industrial and supply chains for light industrial consumer goods but ultimately harms the interests of all parties, including the United States.
The industry group urged the U.S. administration to respect market rules, acknowledge the needs of the people, and stop its wrong practices. It also called on the international community to jointly resist trade bullying and firmly safeguard an equal and mutually beneficial international trading system.
In a separate statement, the China National Textile and Apparel Council expressed strong opposition to the U.S. hegemonic actions, which disrupt the international supply chain order and increase trade costs through domestic administrative measures.
It noted that the duty-free treatment for low-value packages is an internationally recognized practice for trade facilitation. “The U.S. side disregards practical realities, violates the WTO’s non-discrimination principle, and contradicts the spirit of fair trade,” the statement said.
“Such actions weaken the resilience of the global textile supply chain and will ultimately harm the interests of all parties, including U.S. businesses and consumers,” according to the statement.
