China Vows Retaliation Against Proposed 100% U.S. Tariff
BEIJING – China’s Commerce Ministry stated today it will resolutely take countermeasures to protect its interests if the U.S. proceeds with a threatened 100% tariff on Chinese goods, escalating tensions in an ongoing trade dispute. The statement, delivered as answers from an unnamed spokesperson to questions from unspecified media, comes after former President Trump‘s recent vow to impose the tariff and export controls on “critical software.”
both Washington and Beijing accuse each other of violating a previous trade truce through new trade restrictions.Trump, in a social media post, characterized China as “becoming very hostile” and accused it of leveraging its dominance in rare earth metals and magnets to hold the world ”captive.”
The Commerce Ministry countered that the U.S. has recently expanded export controls targeting Chinese companies. It affirmed that export licenses for rare earths would be granted for legitimate civilian uses, while acknowledging their military applications. New regulations require foreign companies to obtain Chinese government approval to export items containing rare earths sourced from China, regardless of where the products are manufactured.
China currently controls approximately 70% of the world’s rare earth mining and 90% of global processing, making access to thes critical minerals – used in products ranging from jet engines to smartphones – a key point of contention in U.S.-China trade negotiations.
The ministry also cited U.S. port fees on Chinese ships, set to take effect Tuesday, as a further provocation, announcing Friday that China would respond with equivalent fees on American vessels. The statement concluded by calling for concerns to be addressed through dialog.
