China calls on US to revoke tariffs, refrain from imposing new ones

China has called on the United States to revoke its unilateral tariff measures and refrain from imposing new ones, adding that it is willing to engage in candid consultations with the US during the upcoming sixth trade talks, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

The announcement comes as China assess the implications of a recent US Supreme Court ruling that struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and Washington's subsequent pivot to alternative statutory authorities to place new tariffs.

In February and April of last year, the US administration imposed a 10 percent fentanyl tariff and a 34 percent "reciprocal" tariff on Chinese goods under IEEPA authority. Twenty-four percentage points of the "reciprocal" tariff were subsequently suspended, leaving an effective rate of 20 percent on Chinese imports, the spokesperson with the ministry said.

The US Supreme Court on Feb 20 ruled that IEEPA does not authorize President Donald Trump to impose broad-based tariffs.

"The US has stopped collecting the above-mentioned tariffs," the spokesperson said.

"However, at the same time, it has imposed a 10 percent import surcharge under Section 122."

The spokesperson also noted that the US has indicated on multiple occasions that it will utilize Section 301 and Section 232 investigations to levy tariffs.

"China is closely monitoring and will comprehensively assess relevant US measures. Depending on the situation, we will decide at an appropriate time whether to adjust our countermeasures targeting the US fentanyl tariffs and 'reciprocal' tariffs," the spokesperson said.

"China is willing to engage in candid consultations with the US during the upcoming sixth round of China-US economic and trade consultations," the spokesperson added.

China hopes the US will work in the same direction with China, resolve respective concerns on the basis of mutual respect and equal consultation, properly manage differences, and maintain the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations, the spokesperson said.