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The Ministry of Commerce Photo: VCG

The US should abandon its protectionist practice and collaborate with global partners to support free trade in new-energy products, including solar panels, and combat global climate change, a Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) spokesperson said on Thursday, in response to the US Commerce Department's preliminary decision to impose tariffs of up to 271.28 percent on solar imports from Southeast Asia.

Last Friday, US trade officials announced tariffs on solar imports from four Southeast Asian nations - Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand - with a preliminary decision posted on its website that calculated dumping duties of between 21.31 percent and 271.2 percent.

"The formation of the global supply chain is shaped by market forces and corporate decisions. Maintaining the stability and smooth operation of the global supply chain aligns with the long-term interests and common expectations of all parties involved," MOFCOM spokesperson He Yadong told a press conference in Beijing.

Investment by Chinese solar companies in a number of countries in Southeast Asia in recent years has made significant contributions to local economies, He said.

With regard to the recent initial anti-dumping rulings on solar products from the four countries, the US has shown a clear intention to achieve a specific outcome during the probe process, He noted.

China is concerned about the US' instrumentalizing and politicizing trade remedy investigations, the spokesperson noted, calling on the US to stop its protectionist practices and collaborate with other nations to safeguard the free trade of new-energy products in order to address the global climate change.

If countries restrict Chinese clean energy products, such as solar panels, wind turbines and lithium batteries, global consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie estimates that energy transition costs would rise by 20 percent, equivalent to at least $6 trillion.