Beijing Hits Back at Trump’s Tariff Threats
China on Sunday declared that it is not afraid of engaging in a trade war with the United States after former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose steep new retaliatory tariffs on Chinese imports. A spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Commerce accused the U.S. of following “textbook double standards” and criticized Trump’s proposal to apply a 100% tariff on American imports in response to China’s new export controls on rare earth minerals.
Rising Tensions Between China and the U.S.
The conflict escalated after China introduced a new export policy for rare earth minerals. Under the new rules, foreign companies must obtain a license to export any product containing more than 0.1% of China-manufactured rare earth materials. Exports of military-use items will not be permitted. China defended its decision as a “legitimate international measure” and insisted that the move would have only a limited impact on the global supply chain.
Trump’s Tariff Response
On Friday, Trump announced that the U.S. would impose a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports starting November 1. Additionally, Washington will implement export controls on “all critical software.” Following the announcement, the U.S. stock market suffered a loss of approximately $2 trillion in value.
China’s Official Statement
Responding to Washington’s actions, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated that the U.S. has been exploiting national security concerns to justify discriminatory measures against China. The spokesperson emphasized that while China does not seek a trade war, it will not back down from one. China also pointed out that the U.S. control list includes more than 3,000 items—three times higher than China’s list, which covers around 900 dual-use goods.
