China's embassy in Canada on Tuesday raised its "strong dissatisfaction" over Ottawa's plans to impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports.

"This move is typical trade protectionism and politically motivated decision," a spokesperson said in a statement on the embassy's website.

"It will damage trade and economic cooperation between China and Canada, hurt the interests of Canadian consumers and enterprises (and) slow down the green transition process of Canada," the statement said.

In Beijing, a Commerce Ministry spokesperson said Canada's move "will disrupt the stability of global industrial and supply chains" and seriously undermine the global economic system and economic and trade rules.

"The Canadian side claims to support free trade and the multilateral trading system based on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, but it flagrantly violates WTO rules, blindly follows individual countries, and announces that it will adopt unilateral tariff measures, which is typical trade protectionism," the spokesperson said in a statement.

China has maintained that its electric vehicle industry does not rely on subsidies to gain a competitive edge.

It said its production keeps prices low for global consumers and will aid a transition to the green economy.

In addition to the 100 percent tariffs on Chinese EVs, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also unveiled a 25 percent surtax on imports of Chinese steel and aluminium products.

At a news conference in Halifax, Trudeau said Chinese EV overproduction and hefty state subsidies for its auto sector "requires us to take action."

"Unless we want to get in a race to the bottom, we have to stand up, and that's what we're doing," he said, adding the tariffs were a response to "this extraordinary threat."

The United States and the European Union have in recent months imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs of 100 percent and 38 percent, respectively. (Agencies)
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Last updated: 2024-08-27 HKT 17:28