The U.S. Commerce Department said on Tuesday it would impose punitive tariffs ranging from 2.02 percent to 437.73 percent on imports of steel wire decking from China.

Once again, "made-in-China" has fallen victim to U.S. trade protectionist measures.

And it is hardly a week after Washington pledged actions against trade and investment protectionism at the 20th China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) talks in China's eastern city of Hangzhou.

The United States vowed to refrain from any new trade protectionism measures at the event. However, in the past week alone, it has imposed several punitive tariffs on Chinese products.

Washington says it is trying to safeguard "trade rules" in applying the tariffs but it is apparent the United States is protecting its own interests at the expense of free trade.

Protectionist measures hurt both sides. For example, the United States' recent imposition of punitive tariffs on all car and light truck tires from China for three years has not only hit China's exports, but also deprived U.S. consumers of more and cheaper choices.

In addition, such measures risk trade wars in extreme cases and have a negative bearing on trade and overall links between both sides of the disputes.

Trade protectionism is a poison, which, if not properly handled, will reverse the first signs of world economic recovery. The United States, as the world's major economy, should take the lead in advocating responsible trade policies.

Recent protectionist moves in the United States are closely linked to its sluggish economic growth and domestic political tussles, but a strong leader should have the guts to be more far-sighted and deliver the pledge he or she has made.

Barack Obama might not want a trade war but the protectionism impulse could be hard to control once it was resorted to, said the Wall Street Journal in a recent article.

Source: chinaview.cn

Editor: Lency