Responding to Trump’s additional 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, China on Sunday (12th October) described the Trump administration’s decision as a “double standard”. “The relevant US statement is a typical example of “double standards”,” a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce reportedly said in a statement published online. The statement comes after the US President Donald Trump announced 100% additional tariffs on China on Friday (11th October) to be effective from November 1, 2025.
Trump said that the additional tariffs were in response to the “extraordinarily aggressive” control measures adopted by China on the export of rare-earth minerals. Trump also reportedly threatened to cancel a meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for later this month. China, however, justified its control measures on the rare-earth minerals, saying that they were legitimate and that it is willing to “strengthen dialogue and exchanges on export controls with all countries” to ensure the security and stability of global industrial supply chains. The control measures were announced by Beijing on Thursday in relation to certain rare-earth items.
China warns the US of “necessary defensive action” in response to additional tariffs
Calling out the US for increasing economic pressure on it since September this year, China said that it has affected the trade relations between the two countries. “These actions… have severely harmed China’s interests and seriously undermined the atmosphere of the economic and trade talks between the two sides. Threatening high tariffs at every turn is not the right approach to engaging with China,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry said. “We urge the US to promptly correct its erroneous practices and uphold stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China–US economic and trade relations,” it added.
Besides, China said that it would impose special port fees on US-linked vessels, in what it described as “necessary defensive action” in response to the additional US tariffs. “Should the US persist in its course, China will resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” the Chinese Ministry of Commerce warned.
Trump triggered a trade war with his reciprocal tariffs
The development comes in a series of actions and reactions triggered by the Trump administration after it announced reciprocal trade tariffs in March this year. After assuming office, in January this year, Trump said that he would impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose high tariffs on US goods. These punitive trade tariffs came into effect in April onwards. Despite experts advising against reciprocal tariffs, Trump went ahead with his decision to impose the tariffs on several countries, including China, Brazil, India, and the European Union, causing turbulence in the national as well as global markets. Recently, he doubled his punitive tariffs on India, which he clarified was a result of India not stopping the purchase of Russian oil.
