He Yadong, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC), speaks at a press conference in Beijing, China, on Sept 7, 2023. (PHOTO / COMMERCE MINISTRY, CHINA)

The United States has introduced discriminatory subsidy policies under the pretext of addressing climate change, thereby distorting fair competition and severely disrupting the global new energy vehicle industrial and supply chains, said the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.

He Yadong, spokesman for the ministry, made the statements at a news conference in response to China's filing of a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the US for impeding electric vehicle manufacturers from procuring battery materials from China.

The US implemented the Inflation Mitigation Act and its specific regulations, which require the use of specific regional products, including those from the US, as a precondition for subsidies, under the guise of addressing climate change and a low-carbon environment, He said.

These actions violate relevant WTO rules, He said, stressing that China's decision to file a complaint with the WTO is not only a legitimate measure to safeguard the interests of Chinese NEV enterprises and promote a fair competitive environment in the global NEV industry but also a firm stance in upholding a rules-based multilateral trading system and staunchly defending the stability of the global NEV industrial and supply chains.