China on Sunday hit back at US President Donald Trump’s latest trade offensive, accusing Washington of “arbitrary double standards” after he announced 100% tariffs on all Chinese imports and strict export controls on critical US-made software starting November 1.
In a sharply worded statement, China’s Commerce Ministry said the measures “severely harm China’s interests” and “undermine the atmosphere for bilateral economic and trade talks.”
The ministry called the US decision a “classic case of double standards,” adding that China “does not want to fight, but is not afraid to fight” and will take countermeasures if necessary.
Trump’s announcement, made late Friday on Truth Social, marked one of the most sweeping protectionist steps of his presidency. He accused Beijing of adopting an “extraordinarily aggressive position on trade,” saying the United States would respond in kind.
“Starting November 1, the United States of America will impose a tariff of 100% on China, over and above any tariff that they are currently paying,” Trump said, claiming China’s planned export restrictions on a broad range of products were “a moral disgrace.”
The decision follows Beijing’s move on Thursday to tighten export controls on rare earth elements, which include minerals vital to global tech manufacturing, a step that Trump described as China’s attempt to “hold the global economy hostage.”
Analysts warned that the new tariffs could disrupt sectors from consumer electronics to electric vehicles, already strained by earlier rounds of trade measures.
The announcement also comes just weeks before Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, though he has since threatened to cancel the meeting. Beijing has not confirmed the summit.
In its response, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said the US had “continuously introduced new restrictions against China” since the recent trade talks in Madrid, adding multiple Chinese firms to export control and sanctions lists while arbitrarily expanding the scope of regulated entities.
“Threatening to impose high tariffs at every turn is not the right way to engage with China,” the statement said. “We urge the US to promptly correct its erroneous practices and uphold stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China–US economic and trade relations.”
Beijing also said it would impose special port fees on US-linked vessels, calling it a “necessary defensive action” in response to Washington’s latest penalties.
“Should the US persist in its course,” the ministry warned, “China will resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”
Source: India Today