China drags India to WTO over alleged violations in ICT tariffs and solar subsidies

China has officially filed a petition with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Friday, requesting consultations with India regarding New Delhi's tariffs on information and communication technology (ICT) products and subsidies in the solar sector.

According to a statement from China's Ministry of Commerce, these measures allegedly violate several WTO obligations, including the principle of national treatment, and involve import substitution subsidies that are explicitly prohibited under WTO rules.

The statement accused India's actions of providing unfair competitive advantages to domestic industries while undermining China's economic interests. "These measures grant advantages to India's domestic industries at the expense of China's, thus violating WTO commitments," the spokesperson said.

China has called on India to honour its WTO commitments and make prompt adjustments to these measures.

This petition marks China's second filing at the WTO against India in 2025. Earlier this year, in October, China filed a similar petition against India over subsidies in the electric vehicle (EV) and battery sectors. The previous complaint argued that India's subsidies for EVs and batteries undermined Chinese market interests and requested WTO consultations to address these concerns.

Past instances of approaching WTO

This is not the first time China has turned to the WTO to resolve trade disputes. In previous years, China has filed several complaints against trade practices and measures implemented by various countries that it deemed unfair or discriminatory.

Notably, China has previously filed against the United States over tariffs on steel and aluminium and against the European Union over anti-dumping duties on Chinese products. These instances highlight China's ongoing efforts to challenge trade practices it perceives as violating international trade agreements under the WTO framework.