Huizhong Wu and Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press
BANGKOK (AP) – China announced on Friday that it will impose a 34% tariff on imports of all US products starting April 10th. This is part of a gust of retaliation following the double-digit tariffs on US President Donald Trump’s “liberation day.”
The new tariffs coincide with the 34% US “mutual” tariffs on China’s exports that Trump ordered this week.
Beijing’s Commerce Ministry also said in a notice that it would impose more export controls on rare earths, materials used in high-tech products such as computer chips and electric vehicle batteries.
The list of minerals targeted for control included samarium and its compounds used in the aerospace manufacturing and defense sectors. Another element called gadolinium is used in MRI scans.
China’s customs agency said it has halted imports of chicken from some US suppliers after the Chinese banned drug furazolidone was shipped from these companies.
Separately, he said he discovered high levels of mold in chicken sorghum and salmonella from some companies. The announcement will affect Sorghum, C&D Inc. and one company that exports four poultry companies.
Additionally, the Chinese government said it has added 27 companies to its list of companies subject to trade sanctions or export controls.
Of these, 16 people are subject to a ban on exporting “double use” goods. It was one of the companies listed: High Point Aerotechnologies, a defense technology company, and Universal Logistics Holding, a public transport and logistics company.
Beijing also announced it had filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization over the tariff issue.
“The imposition of so-called ‘mutual tariffs’ violates a serious violation of WTO rules, seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, seriously undermines the rules’ system of multilateral trading and international economic order,” the Ministry of Commerce said.
“This is a typical unilateral bullying practice that puts the stability of the global economic and trade order at stake. China is firmly against this,” it said.
Other actions include launching an anti-monopoly investigation into Dupont China Group Co., a subsidiary of a major multinational chemical company, and anti-dumping probes to X-ray tubes and CT tubes for CT scanners imported from the US and India.
In February, China announced a 15% tariff on imports of coal and liquefied natural gas products from the United States. This added separate 10% tariffs on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large engine vehicles.
Dozens of US companies are subject to trade and investment control, but more Chinese companies face similar restrictions on trading with US companies.
According to a statement from the Treasury’s State Council Customs Commission, the latest tariffs apply to all products made in the United States.
Frictions on the trade front are intensifying, but overall relationships are somewhat unequal.
We and Chinese military authorities met for the first time this week to share concerns about marine military security, when Trump took office in January. The talks held in Shanghai on Wednesday and Thursday were aimed at minimizing the risk of trouble, both sides said.
Original issue: April 4, 2025, 7:19am Edit
