China says solar duties to hurt EU relations

China warned the European Union that trade sanctions could “seriously harm” bilateral trade ties, Reuters reported. The warning from China comes after the European Commission agreed to impose a 47% duty on solar panels from China, which according to EU officials is a safeguard against cheap goods being dumped into the market. Tensions between the EU and China have intensified as the EU pursues 18 active trade investigations into China’s trade practices. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce warned the EU that provoking a trade war with China would be like “dropping a boulder on one’s foot.”