Beijing blames US for raising trade tensions, defends rare earth curbs
China called President Donald Trump’s latest U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods hypocritical on Sunday and defended its curbs on exports of rare earth elements and equipment, but stopped short of imposing new levies on U.S. products.
Trump on Friday responded to Beijing’s most recent export controls by imposing additional tariffs of 100% on China’s U.S.-bound exports, along with new export controls on critical software by November 1.
China’s commerce ministry said in a lengthy statement its export controls on rare-earth elements – which Trump on Friday called “surprising” and “very hostile” – followed a series of U.S. measures since bilateral trade talks in Madrid last month.
Beijing cited the addition of Chinese companies to a U.S. trade blacklist and Washington’s imposition of port fees on China-linked ships as examples.
“These actions have severely harmed China’s interests and undermined the atmosphere for bilateral economic and trade talks. China firmly opposes them,” the ministry said.
“Threatening to impose high tariffs at the drop of a hat is not the right way to deal with China. China’s position on tariff wars has always been consistent: we don’t want to fight, but we are not afraid to fight,” the commerce ministry said, adding that China would take corresponding measures if the U.S. did not correct its course.
