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US-China trade war
USDiplomacy

China vows to retaliate after ‘bullying’ US imposes 34% reciprocal tariffs

The ‘Liberation Day’ package will correct years of ‘unfair’ trade and other countries ‘ripping off’ the US, said Donald Trump

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Trump had vowed for months to impose reciprocal tariffs to match other countries’ higher tariff rates. Photo: EPA-EFE
Bochen Hanin WashingtonandZhao Ziwenin Washington

China has vowed to retaliate against the 34 per cent tariffs imposed by the US on Wednesday and protect its national interests, while condemning the move as “an act of bullying”.

The Chinese commerce ministry’s press conference will be closely watched on Thursday afternoon for any clues of how Beijing may respond to the tariffs, part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” package aimed at reshaping American trade policy.
The South China Morning Post is reporting live from the ministry’s press conference.

Hours after the White House announcement, the commerce ministry said in a statement that “China firmly opposes the move and will take resolute countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”.

“The so-called reciprocal tariffs have violated international trade rules and undermine the legitimate rights and interests of relevant parties, and are a typical act of unilateral bullying,” it added.

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday, Trump said “we’re going to be charging a discounted reciprocal tariff of 34 per cent”.

Trump held up a chart listing numerous US trading partners and the tariffs he said they were imposing on the United States.

The calculations reflected “a combined rate of all their tariffs, non-monetary barriers and other forms of cheating”, he said, explaining that the US would charge other countries about half as much as they charged the US.

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