China's anti-dumping probe into Canadian canola imports in line with laws, WTO rules: spokeswoman

China's move to launch an anti-dumping probe into rapeseed imports from Canada has been taken in accordance with Chinese law and in compliance with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a spokewoman of the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

China announced on Monday the start of a one-year anti-dumping investigation into imports of rapeseed oil from Canada, just weeks before Canada's 100 percent tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles and other products are scheduled to go into effect. Rapeseed oil is commonly known as canola in Canada.

The probe is in line with Chinese law and administrative regulations as well as WTO rules, but is relatively rare, as the competent Chinese authorities have launched the investigation without having received an application from the domestic industry, experts noted.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, He Yongqian, the spokeswoman, said that the anti-dumping probe is a legitimate trade measure that complies with WTO rules to protect domestic industries against injury from dumping by a foreign country.

"Relevant evidence indicates that there exist acts of dumping on the part of Canada in exporting canola to China, which has caused substantial damage to China's domestic industry. Due to the low centralization rate of China's rapeseed industry and the involvement of large numbers of rapeseed growers that are scattered across the country, it is difficult for the industry to file applications by itself. For this reason, China has launched investigations into Canadian canola exports to the country independently in accordance with law, which meets the relevant provisions of the Chinese law and WTO rules. In the future, we will conduct the investigations in an objective, impartial and transparent manner and ruling accordingly," the spokeswoman said.

Citing reports from China's domestic rapeseed industry, the ministry said that Canada exported 3.47 billion U.S. dollars worth of canola to China in 2023, which also saw a year-on-year volume surge of 170 percent and a continuous decline in prices.

On Sept. 6, China submitted a consultation request to Canada at the WTO over Canada's plan to impose surtaxes on electric vehicles, steel products and aluminum products imported from China, according to the ministry.

It noted that Canada's plan to impose a 100 percent surtax on Chinese-made electric vehicles and a 25 percent surtax on Chinese steel and aluminum products is in violation of Canada's WTO commitments, and is a typical example of unilateralism and trade protectionism.

China's anti-dumping probe into Canadian canola imports in line with laws, WTO rules: spokeswoman

China's anti-dumping probe into Canadian canola imports in line with laws, WTO rules: spokeswoman

China's anti-dumping probe into Canadian canola imports in line with laws, WTO rules: spokeswoman

Floodwaters in Lithia, a severely affected area in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida by Hurricane Milton, have not receded yet even four days after the landfall of the hurricane.

Milton hit the west-central coast of Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday night, bringing strong winds, destructive tornadoes, and heavy rains before weakening to a Category 1 as it swiftly barreled across central Florida.

Lithia, situated southwest of Tampa, bore the brunt of the hurricane as it was right in the the path of Milton.

The heavy rainfall triggered by Milton swelled local rivers, resulting in flooding and the submersion of numerous homes, with many areas in Lithia still drenching in floodwaters.

"Milton came through and wrecked it. The storm didn't do too much of the flooding after the fact. About 12 hours after the storm, the water was in my backyard, didn't think it was going to get much higher 36 hours after the storm. Way better than a lot of people behind me, hopefully they're okay behind. But yeah, I got my neighbors. I think they got probably four or five, maybe six feet of water in the house, that yellow house over there," said Vladimir, a resident affected by the floods in Lithia.

Vladimir also said that they have not received any government assistance so far, with only local community organizations offering some food and water to the affected residents.

In parts of western and central Florida, river levels may continue to rise, with multiple areas still under flood alerts.

Rescue agencies caution that the floods are likely to impede the progress of post-disaster relief efforts. By Sunday afternoon, over 840,000 households in Florida were still without power, with almost 30 percent of gas stations unable to provide fuel.

Milton is the fifth hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast so far in 2024, with three of them striking Florida.

Floodwaters linger in Florida's hard-hit area days after Hurricane Milton's landfall

Floodwaters linger in Florida's hard-hit area days after Hurricane Milton's landfall