
Industry associations in the US and EU should not "use the excuse" of trade in steel to block China's market economy status, read a statement posted on the website of the Mission of the People's Republic of China to the EU on Monday.
Nine steel associations from the US and Europe released a joint statement in November claiming that the global steel industry is experiencing a crisis of overcapacity to which the Chinese steel sector is the main contributor, the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) said in November.
They opposed any move by the EU to classify China as a market economy, a status that is to be automatically accorded by the WTO in December 2016, the CISA said.
It's inappropriate to use the excuse of steel trade friction to deny China's market economy status, and it's also unfair to claim China's growing steel exports are disrupting the global market, an official directly involved in China's steel industry told the Global Times on Tuesday on condition of anonymity.
The global steel industry is facing overcapacity, and that includes the EU and US, the official said.
Slow world economic growth and declining demand have been the main factors weighing on steel prices, leading to overcapacity, according to the official.
She said that China has taken effective measures to address excess capacity in the sector.
"In the next two years, the growth of steel exports from China will gradually slow," the official noted.
China became a member of the WTO in December 2001. Based on its agreement with the WTO, China will be automatically awarded market economy status in December 2016, Wang Guoqing, a senior researcher at Beijing-based Lange Steel Information Research Center, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Once China is given market economy status, domestic steel companies will be treated equally with their international competitors, Wang said.
Are these the world’s scariest landing strips?
In pics: Left behind children in China
Eight modern day engineering marvels of China
Chinese beauty with sexiest bottom
Charming female bodybuilders of Chengdu University
Polish sports stars strip off for risqué calendar
Spectacular aerial photos of the Three Gorges
Contestants of Mrs. Globe pose for photo in Shenzhen
Bikini models attend hot pot banquet in Hefei
Top 20 hottest women in the world in 2014
Top 10 hardest languages to learn
10 Chinese female stars with most beautiful faces
China’s Top 10 Unique Bridges, Highways and RoadsDay|Week