China's commerce ministry called on Canada to correct the "wrong practice" of restrictions on steel imports and said in a statement on Friday it would take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese firms.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday that the government was tightening rules around steel imports. The move is an effort to protect Canada's domestic industry from dumping as the global trade of the metal undergoes major shifts because of government actions out of the United States and China.