* China commerce minister says trade war will bring disaster

* Says China does not want trade war, will protect its interests

* Trade tensions between China, US have risen since Trump took office

* Target of U.S. President Trump's ire is China (Adds commerce minister comments on lowering import tariffs in paragraph 16)

By Elias Glenn

BEIJING, March 11 (Reuters) - Any trade war with the United States will only bring disaster to the world economy, Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said on Sunday, as Beijing stepped up its criticism on proposed metals tariffs by Washington amid fears it could shatter global growth

After pressure from allies, the United States has opened the way for more exemptions from tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminium that U.S. President Donald Trump set last week.

On Saturday, the European Union and Japan urged the United States to grant them exemptions from metal import tariffs, with Tokyo calling for "calm-headed behaviour."

But the target of Trump's ire is China, whose capacity expansions have helped add to global surpluses of steel. China has repeatedly vowed to defend its "legitimate rights and interests" if targeted by U.S. trade actions.

Zhong, speaking on the sidelines of China's annual session of parliament, said China does not want a trade war and will not initiate one.

"There are no winners in a trade war," Zhong said. "It will only bring disaster to China and the United States and the world."

China can handle any challenges and will resolutely protect its interests, but the two countries will continue to talk, he said.

"Nobody wants to fight a trade war, and everyone knows fighting one harms others and does not benefit oneself."

Trump's announcement on tariffs underlined concerns about rising U.S. protectionism, which has sparked bouts of turmoil in global financial markets over the past year as investors feared a damaging trade spat will shatter a synchronized uptick in world growth.

China's metals industry issued the country's most explicit threat yet in the row, urging on Friday for the government to retaliate by targeting U.S. coal - a sector that is central to Trump's political base and his election pledge to restore American industries and blue-collar jobs.

The U.S. is the world's biggest importer of steel, purchasing 35 million tonnes of raw material in 2017. Of those imports, South Korea, Japan, China and India accounted for 6.6 million tonnes.

Trade tensions between China and United States have risen since Trump took office. China accounts for only a small fraction of U.S. steel imports, but its massive industrial expansion has helped create a global glut of steel that has driven down prices.