China urges US to stop Section 232 tariffs: spokesperson

BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to halt its tariff measures based on the Section 232 investigation as soon as possible, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

At a regular press conference, Spokesperson He Yongqian said the Section 232 duties imposed on the imported automobiles, steel and aluminum, as well as the Section 232 investigation into pharmaceuticals are "a typical act of unilateralism and protectionism."

These measures harm the interests of other countries and undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system, but fail to benefit America's domestic industries, the spokesperson said.

China calls on the U.S. side to immediately end the Section 232 tariff measures and properly address the concerns of all parties through equal-footed dialogue, the spokesperson added.