- China imposes 10-15% tariffs on US agricultural and food imports in response to fresh US duties.
- Beijing restricts 25 US firms, including arms suppliers to Taiwan, citing national security concerns.
- US tariffs now target key Chinese consumer electronics, while China retaliates with levies on American farm products.
China swiftly retaliated against new US tariffs on Tuesday, announcing 10 to 15 percent increases on import levies covering a range of American agricultural and food products.
The move escalates tensions between the world’s two largest economies, bringing them closer to a full-scale trade war. In a parallel action, Beijing placed 25 US firms under export and investment restrictions, citing national security concerns. Ten of these companies were targeted for their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, which China considers its territory.
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China’s response came as the additional 10 percent tariff threatened by US President Donald Trump took effect at 05:01 GMT on March 4, pushing total duties on certain Chinese goods to 20 percent. The White House cited Beijing’s failure to act on drug flows as justification for the new tariffs, a claim China has dismissed as “fentanyl blackmail,” emphasising its strict anti-drug policies.
The US tariffs represent an expansion of previous levies on thousands of Chinese goods. Some sectors were hit particularly hard last year under former President Joe Biden, including Chinese semiconductors, which saw duties double to 50 percent, and electric vehicles, which faced a fourfold increase to over 100 percent.
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The latest US measures now extend 20 percent tariffs to previously unaffected consumer electronics from China, including smartphones, laptops, video game consoles, smartwatches, speakers, and Bluetooth devices.
In response, China announced an additional 15 percent tariff on US chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton, alongside a 10 percent levy on soybeans, sorghum, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy imports, effective March 10.
“The US’s unilateral tariff measures seriously violate World Trade Organisation rules and undermine the foundation of economic and trade cooperation between China and the US,” China’s commerce ministry said in a statement.
