China’s Commerce Ministry on Tuesday pledged to retaliate against new U.S. import tariffs set to take effect later the same day, reaffirming its position that the Trump administration was attempting to “shift the blame” and “bully” Beijing over fentanyl trafficking.
The additional 10% duty, which U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose last week, is scheduled to be implemented at 0501 GMT on March 4. This will bring the cumulative tariff to 20%, as the White House seeks to penalize what it perceives as China’s lack of action against drug flows. The measure adds to existing levies on thousands of Chinese imports.
Washington has accused China of supplying chemicals used in fentanyl production, a claim that Beijing has firmly denied.
According to a report by the Global Times on Monday, China is preparing countermeasures targeting American agricultural and food products. Beijing is expected to respond with a combination of tariffs and non-tariff restrictions.
The Global Times, owned by the People’s Daily—the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party—was the first to reveal China’s planned retaliation after the European Union imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last year.
“China has repeatedly emphasized that the U.S.’ unilateral tariffs violate World Trade Organization rules and undermine the multilateral trade system,” the Commerce Ministry stated.
“Such actions will not resolve (the U.S.’) issues but will instead harm China-U.S. economic and trade relations while disrupting normal international trade,” the statement continued.
The ministry urged Washington to “immediately withdraw” what it described as “unreasonable and groundless” tariff measures that are “harmful to others.”
