🔗 Share this article

The former US president’s latest ultimatum to enforce an further full import duty on Chinese goods has been labeled a “prime illustration” of American hypocrisy, per the China’s leadership.

A representative of the ministry additionally remarked that Beijing could introduce its own unspecified “retaliatory steps” if the American leader carries out his threat, emphasizing that the country was “not afraid” of a possible commercial battle.

Last Friday, Trump responded at China’s decision to reinforce its policies for exports of rare earths, alleging Beijing of “adopting a confrontational stance” and attempting to hold the global community “under its control”.

Additionally, he vowed to withdraw from a planned summit with Beijing’s head of state President Xi, which was set for a conference in the Republic of Korea later this month.

His statements on Friday unsettled financial markets, with the S&P 500 share index closing down nearly three percent, marking its largest decline since earlier this year.

The president’s words reignited concerns of a trade war between the two economic giants.

Earlier this year, the two sides had agreed to drop significant levies on each other’s products, which had created the possibility of bilateral trade stopping between the economic powers.

Consequently, US tariffs on products from China facing an additional import tax compared with the beginning of 2025, while items from the United States entering China face a import levy.

The most recent comments from China – issued by the Ministry of Commerce in the format of formal replies to media inquiries – echoed terminology from the zenith of the latest commercial tensions.

Officials denounced United States controls on chips and semi-conductors while defending China’s own restrictions on exports on rare earth minerals as “standard procedures” to safeguard state interests and that of the global community.

Their representative said that for “an extended period”, the United States had “overstretched the concept of domestic safety, abused foreign shipment regulations and “enforced” biased policies against the Chinese nation.

“Resorting to trade levy ultimatums is not the proper method to engage with the Chinese government,” their representative stated.

“Beijing’s stance” on a import duty dispute has always been consistent: we are not seeking one, but we are unafraid of one.”

The previous week, China announced it was reinforcing overseas sale regulations on rare earth minerals and additional substances critical for advanced tech manufacturing.

This move was regarded as a key move, as the state processes about 90% of the global rare earth supply, which are employed in items such as solar panels and handheld devices.

The recent comments from Washington and Beijing are being viewed by some as a method of enhancing bargaining power in preparation for future trade talks.

It is unclear whether a talks between Trump and China’s leader, planned at a conference in Seoul in the coming weeks, will still proceed.