In a first major and official reaction on US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods, China said on Sunday (February 2) that it ‘firmly opposes’ imposition of extra 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports into the US.
“China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods,” said China’s Commerce Ministry. It warned of “corresponding countermeasures’.
Trump on Saturday, signed an executive order imposing extra 10 per cent tariff on all imported goods from China on top of existing duties.
In addition, US said that it was also imposing 25 per cent extra tariff from goods imported from Canada and Mexico.
As he took the step, the White House said that the measure were taken to hold these countries responsible for halting illegal immigration and drug trafficking into the US.
As it condemned the tariffs, China’s Commerce Ministry said that it would file a lawsuit against US at World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The Chinese Foreign Ministry too expressed its strong displeasure at US tariffs.
“The unilateral imposition of tariffs by the US seriously violates WTO rules. It does not contribute to resolving its own issues, but also undermines normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the US,” said the statement by the foreign ministry.
“There are no winners in a trade war or tariff war,” China’s foreign ministry said, adding that the additional duties would “inevitably affect and damage future bilateral cooperation on drug control”.
