The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Thursday demanded President Donald Trump immediately rescind the tariffs he announced on Wednesday, threatening unspecified “countermeasures” if he does not comply.
The Chinese ministry issued a statement accusing the United States of “unilateralism” and “protectionism.”
“The so-called reciprocal tariffs have violated international trade rules and undermine the legitimate rights and interests of relevant parties, and are a typical act of unilateral bullying,” the statement said.
“China firmly opposes the move and will take resolute countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry threatened.
At a brief press conference on Thursday, the ministry said China would respond to the tariffs by intensifying trade negotiations with the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. The ministry added that “communications” with the Trump administration would continue.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Thursday accused the United States of violating World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and undermining “the rules-based multilateral trading system.”
“We have emphasized more than once that trade and tariff wars have no winners. Protectionism leads nowhere,” said Guo.
“We urge the U.S. to stop doing the wrong thing, and resolve trade differences with China and other countries through consultation with equality, respect and mutual benefit,” he said.
The tariff rate on China announced by Trump on Wednesday was 54 percent, an increase of 34 percent over the 20 percent tariffs on Chinese goods he imposed in February and March, primarily as a response to the fentanyl crisis.
Trump reportedly “discussed with advisers the possibility of imposing a flat 60 percent tariff on all Chinese imports” during his successful 2024 presidential campaign, along with ten percent tariffs on almost $3 trillion in imports from around the world. The “Liberation Day” tariff plan Trump rolled out on Wednesday comes fairly close to those figures with regard to Chinese goods.
Less widely reported on Wednesday was that Trump signed an executive order ending the “de minimis” exemption to trade regulations for small packages from China and Hong Kong, effective May 2.
This could have a significant impact on Chinese businesses like Shein and Temu, which rely on shipping individual items directly to customers. China has been accused of using the de minimis loophole to evade laws like the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), which seeks to ban imported goods made with forced labor from the oppressed Uyghurs.
Julian Evans-Pritchard, chief China economist at Capital Economics, estimated on Thursday that China’s gross domestic product (GDP) could contract by 0.5 percent to one percent if the tariffs remain in effect.
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