China has lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the new tariffs the United States imposed on goods from China.

“China has requested WTO dispute consultations with the U.S. in regard to new tariff measures applied by the U.S. on goods originating in China,’’ the WTO said in a statement on Wednesday.

New 10 per cent tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on all Chinese imports took effect on Tuesday.

China responded by announcing 15 per cent tariffs on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) products and coal from the U.S. on Tuesday.

According to the WTO, the request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the organisation.

“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 favour, Beijing can, under WTO rules, impose tariffs itself to the extent that it has suffered damage due to the U.S. tariffs.

Mr Trump won November’s presidential election, promising to slap high tariffs on foreign goods.

He previously implemented several duties during his first term from 2017 to 2021.

(dpa/NAN)