China vows retaliation if US imposes additional 50% tariffs on its goods

China has vowed to retaliate with higher tariffs following US President Donald Trump’s latest threat to impose additional duties, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

The statement came a day after Trump warned China he would impose an additional 50 per cent tariff if Beijing persisted with its current 34 per cent retaliatory tariffs.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce condemned the US’s move, calling it “a mistake on top of a mistake.” The ministry added that the latest escalation “exposes the exploitative nature of the US,” and warned that if Washington follows through, China “will fight to the end.”

According to the Bloomberg report, both Washington and Beijing are poised to raise sweeping tariffs on each other this week, heightening fears of a renewed trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

What Trump said

Posting on his private social media platform, Truth Social, Trump threatened to impose an additional 50 per cent tariff on Chinese goods starting April 9. He also stated: “All talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated.”

Citing a White House official, Bloomberg noted that the new 50 per cent tariff would be in addition to the previously announced 34 per cent “reciprocal” tariff introduced on April 2, as well as the 20 per cent tariff imposed earlier this year. If enforced, China’s effective tariff rate would reach 104 per cent.

On Monday, Trump urged Americans to “be strong and courageous,” adding that “greatness will be the result.” His remarks came as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 1,200 points—an apparent reaction to the rising trade tensions. Trump defended the tariffs, saying they are necessary to rebalance global trade.

Trump has repeatedly accused other countries of exploiting the US in trade deals, often singling out China as the “biggest abuser.”

China’s response

An editorial in the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper this week said Beijing is no longer actively seeking a trade agreement with the US, though it remains open to negotiations.

Notably, since Trump’s return to the White House for a second term, he has yet to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping—marking the longest period in two decades that a US president has gone without contact with their Chinese counterpart after taking office.

China’s embassy in Washington also criticised the US threats, stating that this is “not the correct way” to engage with Beijing and emphasising that China will defend its national interests.