The White House told the World Trade Organization Wednesday that China’s complaint about the United States’ recently enacted steel and aluminum tariffs was “baseless” and should be ignored by the international body.

China has requested a “consultation” with the WTO, the preliminary stage in filing an official complaint, following the White House’s announcement last month of tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum ones. China has argued the tariffs violate the WTO’s rules, but the administration says they are exempt because they involve national security.