A day after US President Donald Trump announced an additional 100% tariff on China, Beijing criticised the move, calling it “double standards.” “The relevant US statement is a typical example of ‘double standards’,” an unnamed Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said in a statement published online.
On Sunday, Beijing said the US has been increasing economic pressure on China since September.
“These actions… have severely harmed China’s interests and seriously undermined the atmosphere of the economic and trade talks between the two sides,” the commerce ministry said.
“Threatening high tariffs at every turn is not the right approach to engaging with China.”
US slaps 100% tariff on Chinese goods
Trump announced on Friday that starting November 1, 2025, the US will place a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese goods “over and above any tariff that they are currently paying.” He added that export controls on critical software would also come into effect that day.
“Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the USA, and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software,” the US President said in a post on Truth Social on Friday.
Trump made the announcement in response to what he described as China taking “an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade” by sending “an extremely hostile letter to the world.”
“It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the World, stating that they were going to, effective November 1, 2025, impose large scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them. This affects ALL Countries, without exception, and was obviously a plan devised by them years ago. It is absolutely unheard of in International Trade, and a moral disgrace in dealing with other Nations,” Trump said.
“It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is History. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he added.
This move comes after China increased restrictions on rare earth exports, added more items to its control list, and extended limits to cover production technologies and overseas uses, including in the military and semiconductor industries.
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