SHANGHAI, March 9 (Reuters) - China's commerce ministry said on Friday that it "resolutely opposed" a move by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and called for the United States to withdraw the measures as quickly as possible.
On Thursday Trump pressed ahead with import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent for aluminum but exempted Canada and Mexico and offered the possibility of excluding other allies, backtracking from an earlier "no-exceptions" stance.
China's Ministry of Commerce said China would assess any damage caused by the U.S. move and "firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests". It added that the tariffs would "seriously impact the normal order of international trade".
Trade tensions between China and United States have risen since Trump took office. China accounts for a small fraction of U.S. steel imports, but its huge industrial expansion has helped create a global glut of steel that has driven down prices.