Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” slate of double-digit tariffs, China announced on Friday, April 4, 2025, that it will slap a 34% duty on imports of all U.S. products starting on April 10. The new tax is equal to the 34% “reciprocal” tariff that Mr. Trump imposed last week on Chinese products.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s long-threatening tariffs have sunk the nation into a global trade war, as additional taxes that come and go continue to raise anxiety. In a notification, Beijing’s Commerce Ministry also said that it will tighten export regulations on rare earths, which are components of high-tech goods like computer chips and batteries for electric cars.
The Chinese government also announced that it had added 27 corporations to lists of businesses that are subject to export bans or trade sanctions. Of these, 16 are prohibited from exporting “dual-use” products. Among them were the publicly traded transportation and logistics firm Universal Logistics Holding and the defense technology business High Point Aerotechnologies.
In addition, Beijing declared that it has sued the World Trade Organization over the tariff dispute. “The United States’ imposition of so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ seriously violates WTO rules, seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, and seriously undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system and international economic and trade order,” the Commerce Ministry said. “It is a typical unilateral bullying practice that endangers the stability of the global economic and trade order. China firmly opposes this,” it further added.
China declared in February that it will impose a 15% tariff on U.S. imports of coal and liquefied natural gas products. Separately, it imposed a 10% levy on large-engine automobiles, agricultural equipment, and crude oil. According to a statement from the State Council Tariff Commission of the Ministry of Finance, the most recent tariffs are applicable to all goods manufactured in the United States.
