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China has pledged to retaliate after President Donald Trump unveiled significant new tariffs on its exports to the United States as part of his sweeping revision of American global trade policy.
On Wednesday, Trump introduced 54% tariffs on all Chinese imports into the US, a move that is expected to lead to a major shift in US-China relations and escalate the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
“China firmly opposes this and will resolutely take countermeasures to protect its rights and interests,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Thursday.
The ministry condemned Trump’s decision, calling it a “typical unilateral bullying practice” and urged the US to cancel the tariffs, advocating for the resolution of trade differences through equal dialogue. The statement criticized the US for implementing “reciprocal tariffs” based on subjective and unilateral evaluations, which it argued violates international trade rules and harms the legitimate interests of all involved parties.
Trump’s announcement on Wednesday adds 34% “reciprocal” tariffs to the 20% duties already imposed on Chinese imports to the US. This follows previous measures enacted since January, including two rounds of 10% additional tariffs on all Chinese goods, which the White House claimed were necessary to address the illegal flow of fentanyl from China to the US.
In response, Beijing has already imposed retaliatory tariffs on various US products, including agricultural goods and fuel, while also taking actions against American companies and tightening export controls.
“I have great respect for President Xi (Jinping) of China, and I respect China, but they’ve been taking tremendous advantage of us,” Trump said in a roughly hour-long speech in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday. “They understand exactly what’s happening, and they’re going to fight.”
Trump also announced a separate set of measures, including an additional 10% tariff on all US imports and various country-specific actions, many of which are particularly tough on Asian nations, sparking global market and business uncertainty.