Beijing on Sunday hit back at US President Donald Trump’s announcement of 100% additional tariffs on Chinese goods. Defending its export curbs on rare earth materials and related equipment, China called the move “hypocritical.”
China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a lengthy statement on Sunday in response to the tariff. It said its export restrictions on rare earths, labelled “surprising” and “very hostile” by Trump, were imposed in response to a series of US measures since their trade discussions held last month in Madrid, Spain.
“China’s stance is consistent,” the ministry said in a statement posted online. “We do not want a tariff war, but we are not afraid of one.”
China responded two days after President Trump announced a 100% tariff on Chinese exports to the US, along with new export controls on critical software, which are set to take effect on November 1, according to Al Jazeera.
China, in response, highlighted several recent US actions, such as blacklisting Chinese firms and imposing new port fees on China-linked vessels, as examples of what it called “provocative and damaging” behaviour.
“These actions have severely harmed China’s interests and undermined the atmosphere for bilateral economic and trade talks. China firmly opposes them,” the Commerce Ministry stated.
Earlier, 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.
ALSO READ: China hits back at US over 100% tariff, calls it ‘typical example of double standards’
