Economic and political relations between China and Canada have been testy in recent years, with trade ties deteriorating even as both countries are targeted by US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz.

Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced an additional 25 percent tariff on steel imports that contain steel melted and poured in China.

He said the move was needed to protect the domestic industry after the United States increased import duties on steel to 50 percent, prompting fears that firms would divert exports and dump steel in Canada.

China's commerce ministry said in a statement that it had filed a complaint against the Canadian measures on Friday, labelling them "discriminatory" and saying they "disregarded WTO rules".

"Such actions are typical unilateral and protectionist measures that undermine China's legitimate rights and interests and disrupt the stability of global industrial and supply chains for steel," it added.

The WTO complaint comes days after Beijing announced new temporary duties on Canadian imports of canola and preliminary levies on halogenated butyl rubber -- a material used for tyre linings and hoses -- as well as an anti-dumping probe into Canadian pea starch imports.

Canada said on Tuesday it was "deeply disappointed" with the move to impose duties on canola.

Beijing had already slapped a 100 percent surcharge on various Canadian agricultural products in March, in what it said was a response to Ottawa's decision last year to place 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.