Amid escalating trade tension between the world’s two biggest economies, China has imposed a 15% import tariff on a wide range of American products.
This sanction, according to the government is part of its retaliatory measures against the United States, which came barely an hour after President Donald Trump levied 10% tariffs on all Chinese imports.
During an announcement on Tuesday, the Chinese government disclosed that an additional 15% tariff will be applied to coal and liquefied natural gas, and a 10% tariff will be applied to crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement automobiles, and pickup trucks.
The Ministry of Commerce and China’s customs administration also announced new export controls, effective immediately, on more than two dozen metal products and related technologies. These include tungsten, a critical mineral typically used in industrial and defense applications, as well as tellurium, which can be used to make solar cells.
In addition, the ministry revealed that it is adding two American firms, biotech company Illumina and fashion retailer PVH Group, owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, to its unreliable entities list, citing violations of normal market trading principles.
A Ministry of Commerce spokesperson added that PVH was found to have discriminated against and interfered with the operations of Chinese companies, although the spokesperson failed to provide specifics.
In a separate statement, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation stated that it is initiating an investigation into Google for suspected violations of its anti-monopoly laws. The company, whose search engine is not available in China, has minimal operations in the country.
Denouncing the White House’s tariff measures against the world’s second-largest economy, the Chinese commerce ministry confirmed in a statement that it has brought the Trump administration’s sanctions to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.
“The US practice seriously undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system, undermines the foundation of economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States, and disrupts the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain,” the ministry said.
