China Condemns New US Tariffs, Warns Against Trade War

Beijing has criticised the latest tariffs imposed by the United States on China and 59 other countries over alleged forced labour concerns, warning Washington against escalating tensions into a trade war.

The new US levies, announced on Friday, July 24, range between 10 per cent and 12.5 per cent, with China receiving the highest tariff rate among the affected countries.

“We oppose all forms of unilateral tariff measures,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a news briefing on Friday.

“Tariff wars and trade wars are not in the interests of any party,” he warned.

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The new tariffs replace an expiring global duty rolled out by President Donald Trump earlier this year.

The Trump administration has moved swiftly to rebuild the president’s tariff wall after the Supreme Court struck down a host of his duties in February – dealing a blow to his ability to unleash steep levies at will.

In unveiling the duties, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Washington was “rigorously” enforcing a forced labour import ban and that it was “well past time for our trading partners to do the same”.

Economies that have implemented a forced labour prohibition – including Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom – received the lower 10 per cent rate.

Other major trade partners including India and Japan were hit with the higher 12.5 per cent tariffs.

China and the United States, which spent much of last year embroiled in an escalating trade war, reached a truce when Trump and President Xi Jinping met last October.

After Trump visited Beijing this year, China said it would work with the United States on reducing tariffs, but the latest levies threaten to renew trade tensions.

AFP