China vows legal battle as Trump’s tariffs escalate tensions
China has firmly opposed U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose 10% tariffs on imports from the People's Republic of China. Beijing announced retaliatory measures, including a complaint to the World Trade Organization.
"Trade and tariff wars have no winners" – stated a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, emphasising that President Donald Trump's decisions "will not solve the internal problems of the USA and will not benefit any party, least of all the world."
Trump imposes tariffs. China is already reacting
The White House officially cited the influx of fentanyl across the northern and southern borders of the USA as the reason for imposing a 10% tariff on imports from China and 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, contributed to the deaths of 100,000 Americans last year. The U.S. administration accuses Beijing of supplying chemical precursors used by drug cartels.
In a Sunday statement, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that China has "one of the strictest" approaches worldwide to combating drugs, both in terms of regulation and enforcement.
In a separate statement, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced plans to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that the United States' "unilateral" imposition of tariffs "seriously violates WTO rules."
The market reacts to Trump's decision
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) expressed concern over President Trump's decision to impose 10% tariffs on oil imports and energy goods from Canada and Mexico and hoped it would not last long.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered the imposition of tariffs on Saturday in retaliation for the 25% tariffs imposed on Mexican imports by U.S. President Donald Trump. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a similar decision.
