China has strongly criticised a new round of U.S. tariffs, warning that the measures risk reigniting trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
The tariffs, announced by the Trump administration, impose duties ranging from 10 to 12.5 per cent on imports from China and 59 other trading partners over allegations of inadequate enforcement of forced labour restrictions. China is among the countries facing the highest rate.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian rejected the move, describing it as another example of unilateral trade action by Washington.
“We oppose all forms of unilateral tariff measures,” Lin said.
The latest duties replace a temporary global tariff introduced earlier this year and form part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten trade rules linked to forced labour.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer defended the policy, saying the United States was rigorously enforcing its long-standing ban on imports made with forced labour and expected its trading partners to strengthen similar measures.
Countries that already enforce comparable restrictions, including Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom, were assigned the lower 10 per cent tariff rate. Other major economies, including India and Japan, face tariffs of up to 12.5 per cent.
The announcement comes after months of improving relations between Washington and Beijing.
The two countries had paused a prolonged trade dispute following a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last October, while Trump’s subsequent visit to Beijing raised hopes of further tariff reductions.
However, the new measures have renewed concerns that the fragile trade truce could unravel, raising the prospect of another round of economic tensions between the two global powers.
