Beijing will "ignore" further US tariff hikes and urges Washington to resolve differences through dialogue.
The Chinese government has decided to respond to the latest tariff hike imposed on its exports by the United States by raising the additional tariff applied to imported US goods from 84% to 125% starting April 12. It has indicated that if Washington continues to raise taxes on products from the Asian giant, Beijing will not respond, since with the current tariff level, "there is no market acceptance for US goods exported to China."
"The imposition of abnormally high tariffs by the United States on China seriously violates international economic and trade norms, fundamental economic laws, and common sense, and constitutes a completely unilateral practice of intimidation and coercion," China's Ministry of Finance said today.
Thus, the Tariff Commission of the State Council, in accordance with the legislation of the People's Republic of China and the basic principles of international law, "from April 12, 2025, the tariff increase measures on imports of products originating in the United States will be adjusted."
Specifically, the Chinese authorities have decided to adjust the tariff rate stipulated for imports originating in the United States from 84% to 125%.
Beijing has also stated that since the current tariff level does not accept US goods exported to China, "if the US continues to impose tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the US, China will ignore them."
For its part, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce reiterated today China's "firm opposition" and the strongest condemnation of the "excessive" unilateral tariff decisions of the United States, asserting that the repeated imposition of abnormally high tariffs on China by the United States "has become a numbers game, with no practical economic relevance" that will only further expose the use of tariffs by the United States as an instrument and weapon of intimidation and coercion, "turning it into a joke."
"The United States must bear full responsibility for this," the Chinese official asserted, noting that, under pressure from China and others, the United States has temporarily suspended the imposition of high reciprocal tariffs on some of its trading partners, which he described as "a small symbolic step" that does not change the US's nature of seeking private benefits through trade blackmail.
"If the United States continues to play with tariff figures, China will ignore it," he reiterated, warning that if Washington insists on continuing to substantially violate China's rights and interests, Beijing will resolutely counterattack and fight to the bitter end.
He also reiterated Beijing's stance on economic and trade relations between China and the United States based on mutual benefit, saying, "No one wins in a trade war," and protectionism is a dead end.
"China is open to consultations with the United States, but threats and pressure are not the right way to deal with China," he said, stressing that the United States must properly resolve its differences with China through equal dialogue based on mutual respect.
