China has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the additional tariffs imposed by the United States on goods from China, the trade body said Wednesday.
"China has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States in regard to new tariff measures applied by the United States on goods originating in China," the organization said in a statement.
New 10% tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on all Chinese imports took effect on Tuesday.
China responded by announcing tariffs of 15% on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) products and coal from the United States on Tuesday.
According to the WTO, "the request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO."
"Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation," it said.
If the dispute is not resolved after 60 days, "the complainant may request adjudication by a panel."
Experts then assess whether the tariffs are compliant with WTO rules, in a procedure that takes several months.
If the arbitrators rule in China's favor, Beijing can, under WTO rules, impose tariffs itself to the extent that it has suffered damage as a result of the U.S. tariffs.
Trump won November's presidential election promising to slap high tariffs on foreign goods. He previously implemented a number of duties during his first term from 2017 to 2021.
