China has protested against the United States limiting the imports of Chinese woollen trousers saying it was groundless and went against World Trade Organisation rules.
China is firmly opposed to and strongly dissatisfied with the US decision to limit the imports of Chinese woollen trousers, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce Chong Quan said in Beijing.
"Once again the US imposed restrictions against Chinese clothing, and this has made the dialogue more difficult," Chong said.
"The Chinese government reserves the right to take further actions within the framework of the WTO," he said.
The US Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements announced yesterday that it has decided to impose special safeguard measures against Chinese woollen trousers, the latest move in US-China clothing trade row after it imposed similar restrictions on seven categories of Chinese clothing earlier this year.
Chong said that the US decision lacks of sufficient facts and goes against the principle and orientation of the agreement on textile and garments of the WTO as well as the spirit of free trade that the WTO advocates.
In addition, the US decision does not confirm to the precondition to launch restriction as ruled in the documents concerning China's accession to the WTO, he said.
China and the United States held their latest talks on textile and garment trade row early this month at the 16th Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade in Beijing, but failed to reach an agreement.