China has responded to Donald Trump’s new trade tariffs with its own charges on US imports. After Trump announced the imposition of an additional 34 percent charge on Chinese imports into the US, China has announced a levy at the same rate for US goods shipped to China.
In a statement announcing the new tariff, China’s finance ministry declared that the US tariff on Chinese goods “seriously undermines China’s legitimate rights and interests,” and called it a “typical unilateral bullying practice.”
“China urges the United States to immediately cancel its unilateral tariff measures and resolve trade differences through consultation in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner,” the statement concludes.
The Chinese levy will go into effect on April 10th, one day after the US’s new tariff starts to apply. According to The New York Times, China has also imposed strict limits on the exports of some rare earth elements that are mined almost exclusively in China, used in electric vehicles, weapons, and other tech.
The BBC reports that China has also filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization (WTO), which follows a dispute complaint it lodged with the organization in early February following Trump’s previous tariffs on the country.
