China's aluminum enterprises have repeatedly been attacked maliciously by the Ministry of Commerce, calling for rational treatment of trade frictions

The recent Sino-US aluminum trade frictions have escalated. On the 12th, the United States complained to the WTO that China provided loans and subsidies for primary aluminum (electrolytic aluminum) and violated relevant regulations; on the 16th, the US media claimed that a large number of aluminum materials suspected to be associated with the Chinese aluminum giant Seized by United States Customs. The Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China has expressed its position on many occasions and hopes that the United States will abide by its opposition to trade protectionism and properly handle trade frictions in a more rational manner. International trade experts have analyzed that trade disputes have become a popular means of public opinion wars. Some powerful and well-known Chinese companies have become more aggressive targets for foreign media. In this regard, governments and enterprises must not only strengthen communication but also Countermeasures.

Zhongwang: Unrelated to the American media’s misrepresentation of attacks due to the seizure of aluminum materials by U.S. Customs

Although China’s Zhongwang recently issued a statement of its controlling shareholders’ misrepresentation of the “Wall Street Journal”, this foreign media attack continues.

According to an article quoted by the Wall Street Journal on the 16th as an anonymous person, US Customs seized the California company Perfectus Aluminum Inc., which was worth 25 million U.S. dollars, and that the aluminum was suspected to be related to Zhong Zhong, founder and chairman of Zhongwang. Both Perfectus and Zhongwang denied this.

Perfectus issued a statement saying that although aluminum had previously been seized by US Customs, most of the goods were released after investigation. Only about 500 of the 6,000 containers seized before had been returned.

In an interview with Sing Tao Daily, the company’s lawyer, Solomon Rosenthal, further stated that the company filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on December 27 last year requesting the release of seized property because US Customs seized their products and exceeded them. The time limit stipulated by the law, the delay of 30 days without approval and the lack of communication with the company is lack of legal basis. The company will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with relevant agencies, including assisting in testing or analyzing the remaining products, and looks forward to a prompt and friendly solution to this problem.

Rosenthal also pointed out that the source of the connection between Liu Zhongtian and Perfectus is the Wall Street Journal reporter and some street newspapers. The company has communicated with the media many times, but it still makes false reports. The company respects the media. Freedom of reporting, but also hope not to deceive readers with rumors.

The relevant person in charge of Zhongwang of China also stated that neither Zhong Zhong nor Liu Zhongtian of China has any connection with Perfectus.

In fact, this is not the first time that Zhongwang Group has been attacked by The Wall Street Journal. Not long ago China Zhongwang issued a statement specifically targeting the Wall Street Journal’s false reports. The statement stated: "Since August 29, 2016, the controlling shareholder's subsidiary Zhongwang USA (LLC) announced the acquisition of Aleris Corporation (Aleris Corporation), the international company The "Wall Street Journal" has issued several articles concerning allegations against the controlling shareholder and China Zhongwang (collectively known as the "Zhongwang Group"), and the controlling shareholders have kept an eye on this and have retained the right to pursue their legal responsibilities."

The obstacles encountered by Zhongwang are far more than public opinion attacks by local competitors and foreign media. In early November of last year, 12 senators from Oregon State of the United States jointly sent a letter to the Obama administration requesting that the use of national security should prevent Zhong Lian from the United States from acquiring Aleris Aluminum.

In response to this, the South China Morning Post quoted Guo Yongjun analyst Guo Yong's viewpoint: "The occurrence of such incidents was mainly due to the prejudices held by American politicians and their unfounded suspicions, but also to trade protectionism and politicians. Activities related."

In September last year, the China Non-Ferrous Metals Processing Industry Association issued a clarification statement stating that the “Wall Street Journal” report quoted relevant figures and opinions seriously escaping from the facts and confusing the views. The Chinese aluminum processing industry opposed both unfair competition and any excuse. Provoke trade frictions. "People's Daily" also commented on this: "Nothing is an excuse for saying that open cooperation is the right way to open up cooperation." It is stated that "In recent years, the United States has gone further and further away on the road of trade protectionism, in the global economic downturn and the weak trade environment. Next, provoking trade frictions and adopting trade protection measures will only further damage the economies of all countries and should not become the mainstream of the global market."

U.S. aluminum friction escalation in U.S. frequent trade barriers

From the perspective of aluminum materials alone, combing relevant data found that last year, the United States continued to launch anti-dumping sanctions and other trade barriers, and it has become increasingly fierce. On March 21, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a notice requesting the US Aluminum Fair Trade Commission to apply for an anti-circumvention investigation of aluminum profiles originating in China. On April 1, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a The profile launched an anti-dumping countervailing anti-subsidy sunset review investigation. The ITC of the United States International Trade Commission issued the same-period notice of the investigation of the industrial damage caused by the dual-anti-sunset review; on April 6, the US International Trade Commission (USITC) stated that it had initiated a survey of the aluminum industry in the United States and the global aluminum trade; May 13 On the first day, the United States made a preliminary review of the countervailing administrative review of Hualv Aluminum Co., Ltd. and initially ruled that the subsidy rates for Guangdong Zhongya Aluminum Co., Ltd., Zhaoqing New Central Asia Aluminum Co., Ltd. and the other two related companies were 199.27%; December 28. The United States took further measures to isolate the banking and commerce industries, and American banks could no longer handle or invest in industrial metal products. Financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase, will no longer be able to engage in metal physical business such as electrolytic copper and aluminum extrusions.

At the beginning of the new year, the United States once again complained to the World Trade Organization. On January 12, the United States filed a consultation request under the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism on China’s related subsidy measures for primary aluminum (electrolytic aluminum), alleging that China provided loans for primary aluminum (electrolytic aluminum) and low-cost coal, alumina, Subsidies, such as electricity, seriously damage the interests of U.S.-related industries and are inconsistent with the WTO rules.

In this regard, the person in charge of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Commerce pointed out that the Chinese aluminum market is a highly competitive and market-oriented industry, and the relevant loans and raw materials purchased have been fully marketized and commercialized, and there is no question of the United States alleging subsidies. The U.S. consultation request lacks the basis of facts and the basis of WTO rules. The so-called subsidy program is misunderstanding of the industry market and misunderstanding of WTO rules.

The responsible person also stressed that at present, overcapacity in related industries is a global issue. The fundamental reason is that the global economic growth is sluggish and the demand is weak. All countries should work together and respond together. The WTO dispute settlement mechanism is not an occasion to solve the problem of overcapacity.

As the so-called “big tree”, the leading enterprises in the industry where trade warfare “firepower” concentrates are often “putting a gun”. As the world’s second largest manufacturer of industrial aluminum profiles in Asia and China, Zhongwang has become a “target” for no reason. Since last year, this Chinese company has frequently encountered malicious attacks from foreign media, even individual The industry, trying to block its overseas acquisitions through political forces.

Bai Ming, deputy director of the Institute of International Market Research of the Ministry of Commerce, pointed out that in order to cope with the pressure of possible trade wars, the Chinese government and enterprises must not only make up for the chips of mutual communication, but also seek effective ways to counter. Chinese enterprises need to make efforts to accelerate the establishment of new advantages in international competition and change their passive position in the international division of labor.

For the trade friction between China and the United States, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly stated that it hopes that the U.S. government will abide by its opposition to trade protectionism and jointly safeguard a free, open, and fair international trade environment and properly handle trade frictions in a more rational manner. .