Countermeasures taken to US' unilateral tariff hikes

China will impose additional tariffs on certain imports from the United States, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced on Tuesday.

The decision came after the US doubled its additional tariff on all Chinese imports to 20 percent starting on Tuesday.

The commission said the US' unilateral tariff hikes undermine the multilateral trading system, increase the burden on US businesses and consumers, and disrupt the foundation of China-US economic and trade cooperation.

China will levy an additional 15 percent tariff on imports of chicken, wheat, corn and cotton from the US, starting on Monday, while US sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables and dairy products will be subject to an additional 10 percent tariff, according to the commission.

Market observers view these countermeasures as China's effort to safeguard its economic interests in response to the latest US tariff escalation.

Zhao Jinping, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that international trade practices have proved that taking proportional countermeasures against protectionist trade policies is one of the most effective ways to curb unfair trade actions.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 46 years ago, bilateral trade between China and the US has increased more than 200-fold, with two-way investment stock reaching about $250 billion, according to the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

On Feb 1, the US announced an additional 10 percent tariff on all Chinese imports, prompting China to respond with tariffs on US coal and liquefied natural gas, agricultural machinery, cars with large-displacement engines, and pickup trucks.

Speaking on Tuesday at a news conference in Beijing, Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the third session of the 14th National People's Congress, said the unilateral US tariff move violates the rules and regulations of the World Trade Organization and disrupts the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

China stands ready to work with the US to address each other's concerns through dialogue and consultation on the basis of mutual respect, equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit, but will never accept the use of pressure or threats, Lou said.

"We will firmly defend our national sovereignty, security and development interests," he added.

While advocating dialogue, China also took other concrete measures to protect its economic and national security interests.

Citing national security concerns, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Tuesday that, effective immediately, it has added 15 US entities, including Leidos and Sourcemap Inc, to its export control list.

Zhang Jian, vice-president of the Beijing-based China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the rise of trade protectionism will fragment global economic and trade activities, as well as trade and economic cooperation policies among countries, raising policy-related costs for businesses engaged in international commerce.

John Quelch, a marketing professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business in Durham, North Carolina, said that in order to deal with these challenges, China and its exporters should adopt a strategic, measured approach to mitigating immediate risks while accelerating long-term supply chain diversification, innovation and expansion into new markets.

Ningbo Beilun ARC Automotive Co, a manufacturer of auto parts and airbags in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has been heading in that direction. The company's export value grew 17.8 percent year-on-year to 58.3 million yuan ($8 million) in the first two months of 2025, according to data from Ningbo Customs.

"In the early days, our business mainly catered to customers in the European and US markets," said Gai Yancheng, the company's marketing manager. "Benefiting from the tangible growth of the Belt and Road Initiative, we have successfully expanded into the Southeast Asian market in recent years, becoming a key supplier for many major new energy and traditional fuel vehicle manufacturers."

To safeguard China's ecological security and food safety, the General Administration of Customs announced on Tuesday that, effective immediately, imports of US timber have been suspended and the export qualifications of three companies supplying US soybeans to China have been revoked.