China's steel imports in the first six months of 2002 rose by 37 per cent year-on-year to 11.7m tonnes, while its steel exports fell by 8.2 per cent to 2.2m tonnes, China Daily quoted the State Economic and Trade Commission as saying. The rise in imports was attributed to the reduction in tariff and other barriers after China's entry to the World Trade Organisation and to last-minute purchases ahead of import restrictions imposed by China in May. These were in response to the US imposition of additional tariffs of up to 30 per cent on steel from a number of countries including China. In June, China formally asked the WTO to examine the legality of the increased tariffs, which it has condemned as protectionist.
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