China has vowed to “fight to the end” in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose an additional 50 per cent tariff on Chinese imports.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry condemned the proposed tariffs as “completely groundless” and described them as a form of “unilateral bullying”.
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“The US threat to escalate tariffs is doubling down on its mistakes, once again exposing its nature of coercion. China firmly rejects this,” the ministry told Xinhua News Agency.
On April 7, 2025, Trump announced plans to impose an additional 50 per cent tariff on Chinese imports unless Beijing withdrew a 34 per cent retaliatory tariff on US goods.
This new measure would raise the average tariff on Chinese products entering the US to approximately 125 per cent, significantly impacting a wide array of consumer goods and industrial components.
In retaliation, China has pledged to take countermeasures to safeguard its interests.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry said that the country’s actions aim to protect its sovereignty, security, and development interests, and to maintain the normal international trade order.
“The US threat to escalate tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake and once again exposes the blackmailing nature of the US. China will never accept this. If the US insists on its own way, China will fight to the end.”
Trump’s advisers had previously indicated that he was open to negotiating with countries trying to avoid the tariffs.
However, the president himself dismissed the idea of discussions with Beijing.
Trump stated that he was not considering a tariff pause to facilitate negotiations with trade partners.
“All talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!” he posted on social media.
The impact of the tariffs has also been felt globally. Wall Street saw major losses, with indices like the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average dipping significantly.
Companies such as Tesla and Apple saw their stocks drop by around six per cent.
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