BEIJING: China has strongly urged the United States to cancel its latest tariffs and has vowed to take countermeasures to protect its interests after President Donald Trump imposed sweeping levies on all U.S. trading partners.
In a statement on Thursday, China’s Commerce Ministry criticized the U.S. move, arguing that it disregards years of multilateral trade negotiations and ignores the significant benefits America has reaped from international trade.
“China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests,” the ministry declared, as tensions between the world’s two largest economies threaten to escalate into a full-blown trade war that could disrupt global supply chains.
Trump announced on Wednesday that China would face a 34% tariff—on top of an earlier 20% duty—bringing total levies to 54%, edging closer to the 60% figure he had previously threatened.
As part of the new measures, all Chinese exports—along with those from other economies—will be subject to a 10% baseline tariff starting Saturday. The remaining, higher “reciprocal tariffs” will take effect from April 9.
Additionally, Trump signed an executive order closing the “de minimis” trade loophole, which had allowed low-value packages from China and Hong Kong to enter the U.S. duty-free.
The U.S. Trade Representative has also been instructed to review whether China is meeting its commitments under the 2020 “Phase 1” trade agreement by April 1. That deal required China to increase purchases of U.S. exports by $200 billion over two years—a target Beijing failed to meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese customs data shows that China imported $153 billion worth of U.S. goods in 2017, before the trade war began. Despite tensions, that figure rose to $164 billion last year.
