(Adnkronos) – China has promised to retaliate after US President Donald Trump announced new and substantial tariffs on its exports to the US. Trump announced tariffs of 54% on all Chinese imports into the United States, a decision that is set to trigger a profound reshaping of relations and exacerbate the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. “China firmly opposes and will resolutely adopt countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests,” the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.
The Chinese ministry criticized the decision, which is at the heart of Trump’s effort to reshape the rules of international trade, calling it “a typical practice of unilateral bullying,” while urging the United States to withdraw the tariffs and “to properly resolve differences with its trading partners through equal dialogue.” “The United States has developed so-called ‘reciprocal duties’ based on subjective and unilateral assessments, which is inconsistent with international trade rules and seriously harms the legitimate rights and interests of the parties concerned,” the statement read.
Trump’s announcement adds 34% of so-called “reciprocal” tariffs to existing 20% tariffs on all Chinese imports into the United States. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump had already imposed two tranches of additional 10% levies on all Chinese imports, which Washington said were needed to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl from China to the United States.
