BEIJING (AP) – China announced yesterday that it will impose a 34-per-cent tariff on imports of all United States (US) products beginning April 10, part of a flurry of retaliatory measures following US President Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ slate of double-digit tariffs.
The new tariff matches the rate of the US “reciprocal” tariff of 34 per cent on Chinese exports Trump ordered this week.
The Commerce Ministry in Beijing also said in a notice that it will impose more export controls on rare earths, which are materials used in high-tech products such as computer chips and electric vehicle batteries.
Additionally, the Chinese government said it has added 27 firms to lists of companies subject to trade sanctions or export controls.
Among them, 16 are subject to a ban on the export of ‘dual-use’ goods. High Point Aerotechnologies, a defence tech company, and Universal Logistics Holding, a publicly traded transportation and logistics company, were among those listed.
Beijing also announced it filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the tariffs issue.
“The US’ imposition of so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ seriously violates WTO rules, seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, and seriously undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system and international economic and trade order,” the Commerce Ministry said.
“It is a typical unilateral bullying practice that endangers the stability of the global economic and trade order. China firmly opposes this,” it said.
In February, China announced a 15-per-cent tariff on imports of coal and liquefied natural gas products from the US. It separately added a 10-per-cent tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars.
