China says won't bow to tariff pressure day after Trump threatens more coercive levies

In response to President Donald Trump’s warning of an extra 50% tax on Chinese goods, China pledged to take actions against the US “to safeguard its own rights and interests” on Tuesday.

According to a Commerce Ministry statement, the United States’ imposition of “so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’” on China is “completely groundless and a typical unilateral bullying practice.”

China has imposed retaliatory duties, and the government warned that more may follow.

“The countermeasures China has taken are aimed at safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintaining the normal international trade order. They are completely legitimate,” the ministry said. “The U.S. threat to escalate tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake and once again exposes the blackmailing nature of the US. China will never accept this. If the US insists on its own way, China will fight to the end.”

Trump threatened China with further tariffs on Monday, prompting new fears that his efforts to rebalance the global economy will exacerbate a financially damaging trade war. Stock markets from Tokyo to New York have gotten increasingly volatile as the trade battle deepens.

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Trump’s ultimatum came after China stated it would react against US tariffs introduced last week.

“If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!”

If Trump implements his new tariffs on Chinese products, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods would reach a combined 104%. The new taxes would be on top of the 20% tariffs announced as punishment for fentanyl trafficking and his separate 34% tariffs announced last week. Not only could that increase prices for American consumers, it could also give China an incentive to flood other countries with cheaper goods and seek deeper relationships with other trading partners, particularly the European Union.

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Trump frequently bragged about stock market gains during his first term, and the threat of losses on Wall Street was viewed as a potential guardrail on risky economic policies in his second term. But that hasn’t been the case, and Trump has described days of financial pain as necessary.

“I don’t mind going through it because I see a beautiful picture at the end,” he said.

Trump officials have frequently appeared on television to make the case for his policies, but none of their explanations has calmed the markets. The only improvement came from a false report that top economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Trump was considering a pause on all tariffs except for China. Stock prices spiked before the White House denied it was true by calling the post “fake news.”

China is one of the U.S.’s top trading partners, especially for consumer goods, and the tariffs — essentially a tax on imports paid by U.S. companies — will eventually be passed on to the consumer.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Friday that the tariffs could increase inflation, and he said, “There’s a lot of waiting and seeing going on, including by us,” before any decisions would be made.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would focus on trade with other countries besides the United States, saying there are “vast opportunities” elsewhere.