China hits back at U.S. tariffs with 34 percent, decries 'economic bullying'

Dar es Salaam. The Chinese government has issued a scathing condemnation of the latest tariff actions by the United States, accusing Washington of engaging in “economic bullying” and escalating a trade war that now threatens to destabilise the global economic order.

In a strongly worded statement released over the weekend, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised the U.S. for abusing tariff measures against multiple trading partners, including China, in ways that violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and undermine the multilateral trading system.

“The United States is defying fundamental laws of economics and market principles by weaponising tariffs to serve selfish interests,” reads the statement which was unveiled to The Citizen by the Chinese Embassy in Dar es Salaam. “This is a typical act of unilateralism, protectionism and economic coercion.”

The backlash follows President Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday of additional tariffs of 34 percent on all Chinese goods, which come on top of the 20 percent levies he had already imposed earlier this year—raising total new duties to 54 percent.

In response, China retaliated on Friday by announcing its own sweeping measures, including equivalent 34-percent tariffs on U.S. goods and tight export controls on critical resources such as rare earth elements.

China's Ministry of Finance said the retaliatory tariffs would take effect from April 10. The Chinese government also reintroduced export restrictions on key minerals—such as samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—widely used in high-tech industries, defence, and energy sectors.

“The purpose of the Chinese government’s implementation of export controls on relevant items in accordance with the law is to better safeguard national security and interests, and to fulfil international obligations such as non-proliferation,” the Ministry of Finance said.

Adding fuel to the fire, China filed a formal complaint with the WTO on Friday, accusing the U.S. of breaching global trade rules. “China has filed the WTO complaint with respect to the United States’ measures,” said the country’s Permanent Mission to the WTO.

The economic confrontation quickly extended to American businesses. China expanded its export control list, barring 16 U.S. entities from receiving dual-use items and adding 11 others, including Skydio Inc and BRINC Drones, to its "unreliable entities" list. These companies were accused of undermining China’s national sovereignty, particularly through arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province.

As part of the economic offensive, Chinese customs authorities also imposed immediate bans on imports of sorghum from U.S.-based grain exporter C&D (USA) Inc, and suspended shipments of poultry and bonemeal from three American firms. Simultaneously, the Chinese government launched an anti-dumping investigation into certain medical CT tubes from the U.S. and India, a move that may expand to examine the competitiveness of the entire medical imaging equipment sector.

Beijing maintained that it does not seek conflict but will not be intimidated. “We do not provoke trouble, nor are we intimidated by it,” the Foreign Ministry’s statement declared. “The U.S. should stop using tariffs as a weapon to suppress China economically.”

China also warned that these actions risk fracturing the very global trading framework the U.S. once championed. “The United States benefited immensely from the open global trade order it helped to build,” the statement said. “But now, in pursuit of an ‘America First’ agenda, it is dismantling that very order.”

The statement appealed to the international community to reject hegemonic tendencies and embrace principles of fairness and multilateralism. “There are no winners in trade or tariff wars,” it added. “Protectionism is a dead end.”

In its concluding remarks, Beijing reaffirmed its commitment to a rules-based trading system and vowed to continue expanding “institutional opening-up” to attract international cooperation and business.

“As the second largest economy and consumer goods market, China is committed to creating a first-class, law-based, internationalised business environment,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The world now watches closely as tensions mount, raising questions not only about the future of Sino-American relations but also the stability of the global economy at large.