US criticizes China’s compliance with WTO commitments — South China Morning Post

At a US hearing on China’s compliance with its commitments to the World Trade Organization, Terry McCartin, a representative of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, said that Beijing maintains a non-market economic system and is targeting global dominance in entire industrial sectors. According to him, China’s anti-competitive behavior poses a serious challenge to the global trading system, South China Morning Post reports.

Position of the US trade agency

McCartin, who is responsible for China, Mongolia and Taiwan affairs at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, noted that after 25 years of WTO membership, China, in Washington’s view, has not abandoned its non-market model. A report by the agency released in March 2026 states that China’s state-led economic model has not weakened over this period but, on the contrary, has deepened.

The document also states that China’s industrial policy, state support and measures to promote domestic producers create problems for which the existing WTO rules were not designed. The US side considers it necessary to use tools outside the WTO to respond to what it calls Beijing’s non-market practices.

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Complaints from industry groups

Before the hearing, 17 industry groups submitted written comments, including representatives of the agricultural sector, technology industry, healthcare and consumer goods manufacturers. Their complaints concerned government procurement, export controls, market access for agricultural products in China, intellectual property protection, subsidies and regulatory barriers.

The American Iron and Steel Institute said that China maintains significant excess steelmaking capacity through subsidies and industrial policy. The organization urged Washington to consider additional tariffs and strengthen coordination with other countries. At the same time, Chinese officials had previously rejected accusations of excess capacity, calling them politicized and used to justify protectionist restrictions.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also said that participants in the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity had agreed on a new framework for joint action. The next Office of the United States Trade Representative report on China’s compliance with its WTO commitments is expected in early 2027.