Beijing: China’s Ministry of Commerce has called on the United States to completely scrap tariffs imposed during the Trump administration, following Washington’s decision to temporarily exempt certain electronics from those levies.
“The US should take practical steps to correct its mistakes, fully eliminate the misguided policy of reciprocal tariffs, and return to mutual respect in trade relations,” a spokesperson from the ministry said on Sunday, according to AFP.
The US recently announced tariff exemptions for a range of Chinese electronics, including smartphones and laptops — a move seen as a limited easing in the prolonged trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies. However, Chinese officials noted that the bulk of its exports to the US still face steep tariffs, with rates reaching up to 145 per cent.
Quoting a traditional saying, the ministry remarked, “The bell on a tiger’s neck can only be untied by the person who tied it,” pointing to the US as the initiator of the trade measures.
While Beijing acknowledged the exemption of some electronics, it stated that the overall impact remains under review, as China was left out of a broader 90-day tariff moratorium granted to other nations.
In a retaliatory step taken Friday, China raised tariffs on US goods, increasing the average rate from 84 per cent to 125 per cent. This followed Washington’s earlier decision to raise tariffs on Chinese products across multiple sectors.
In a statement that underscored its defiance, the commerce ministry said, “If the US continues playing with tariff figures, China will disregard such tactics. But if our core interests are severely undermined, we will strike back and fight to the end.”
The ministry also called for broader international resistance to what it described as US “unilateralism and economic bullying.” At the same time, China is pursuing new trade avenues to buffer against the effects of its economic standoff with Washington.
The renewed tensions mark another chapter in a conflict that has persisted since 2018, with both sides continuing to implement measures that affect hundreds of billions of dollars in bilateral trade.