China on Tuesday, vowed to take retaliatory actions against the US if Donald Trump imposes any additional tariffs on it. This reaction comes as a response to US President Donald Trump’s yesterday’s announcement to impose an additional 50 percent tariffs on Chinese goods exported to US starting from April 9th, if China doesn’t withdraws from it’s latest move to put additional 34 percent tariff on US goods.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry in it’s latest statement said that the U.S.‘s imposition of “so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’” on China is “completely groundless and is a typical unilateral bullying practice”, hinting towards further hike in tariffs as a response to US.
“The measures China has implemented are intended to protect its sovereignty, security, and developmental interests, as well as uphold the established international trade order. These actions are entirely lawful,” the ministry stated. “The U.S. threat to further raise tariffs is a compounding error that once again reveals its coercive tactics. China firmly rejects such pressure. If the U.S. continues on this course, China is prepared to stand its ground until the end.”
Donald Trump’s warning to China of putting additional tariffs
On Monday, Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on China, sparking renewed fears that his push to rebalance global trade could escalate into a financially damaging trade war. As tensions rise, stock markets from Tokyo to New York have shown increased volatility. His warning was seen as a tit for tat move after China had announced to impose it’s own 34 percent tariffs on US goods.
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“If China does not roll back its 34% increase—on top of years of trade abuses—by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will implement an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods, effective April 9th,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social. “Furthermore, all discussions with China regarding their requested meetings will be canceled!”
What if Trump imposes his additional tariffs on China
If Trump moves forward with the new tariffs on Chinese products, the total U.S. tariff rate on Chinese imports would rise to 104%. These proposed duties would come in addition to the 20% tariffs imposed as a penalty for fentanyl trafficking and the separate 34 percent tariffs announced last week. Such measures could not only drive up costs for American consumers but also prompt China to redirect its exports to other countries at lower prices and strengthen trade ties with alternative partners, especially the European Union.
China is one of the US’s key trade partner especially for consumer goods, and the tariffs which Trump has imposed will only work in increasing their prices for the American people, thereby triggering inflation across America.
The US federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell also cautioned on Friday that the tariffs could contribute to rising inflation, noting that “a lot of waiting and watching is underway, including on our part,” before any policy decisions are taken.