China has responded with additional tariffs on US goods after Donald Trump announced a series of new charges on what he called ‘Liberation Day’ in the US.
China was among the many countries impacted when Trump revealed his tariff plans on April 2, as part of his ongoing efforts to strengthen the US economy.
In a speech from the White House Rose Garden, the president declared, “This is Liberation Day. We’ve been waiting for a long time. April 2, 2025, will be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America reclaimed its destiny, and the day we began to ‘Make America Wealthy Again.'”
“For decades our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered from nations, near and far, from both friend and foe alike.”
Trump announced the tariffs on what he described as ‘Liberation Day’ (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Several countries worldwide were subjected to a ‘baseline’ tariff of 10 percent on all imports to the US. However, the president also unveiled reciprocal tariffs targeting dozens of what he called the ‘worst offenders,’ set to take effect on April 9.
“They do it to us, and we do it to them. Doesn’t get much simpler than that,” Trump stated.
China was one of the countries most impacted by Trump’s new measures, with tariffs against the nation reaching a significant 54 percent, including previously imposed duties.
In response, China has outlined its retaliation plans.
Beginning on April 10, China will impose a 34 percent tariff on US goods.
China claimed Trump’s tariffs are ‘not in line with international trade rules’ (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
The announcement came as China’s finance ministry stated that the US tariffs on Chinese goods are “not in line with international trade rules.”
According to BBC News, a spokesperson from the ministry of commerce confirmed that China has filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization (WTO), claiming that Trump’s tariffs “seriously violate WTO rules.”
The spokesperson further argued that the tariffs “harm the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, and undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system and the international economic and trade order.”
“It is a typical example of unilateral bullying that jeopardizes the stability of the global economic and trade order. China firmly opposes this,” they added.
In addition to the tariffs, Beijing’s commerce ministry announced that it would impose stricter export controls on rare earths—materials essential for high-tech products like computer chips and electric vehicle batteries.
