Beijing seeks consultations, alleges New Delhi’s measures breach WTO rules and harm Chinese industry

China on Friday filed a petition with the World Trade Organisation seeking consultations with India over New Delhi’s tariffs on information and communication technology products and subsidies extended to the solar sector, marking a fresh escalation in trade tensions between the two countries.

In a statement issued in Beijing, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said India’s measures allegedly violate multiple WTO obligations, including the principle of national treatment. The statement claimed the policies amount to import substitution subsidies, which are explicitly prohibited under WTO rules.

According to China, the measures grant unfair competitive advantages to India’s domestic industries while undermining the interests of Chinese companies. Beijing urged New Delhi to honour its commitments under the multilateral trading system and to promptly amend the contested policies.

This is the second petition filed by China against India at the WTO this year. In October, Beijing had sought consultations over what it described as unfair subsidies provided by India to its electric vehicle and battery sectors, arguing that those measures also harmed Chinese commercial interests.

The latest filing brings the spotlight back on India’s use of tariffs and subsidies in strategic sectors such as clean energy and digital technologies, areas that are increasingly central to global trade disputes and the transition towards low-carbon economies.