The US-China trade war intensified on Sunday after Beijing accused Washington of “double standards” following President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods. “The relevant US statement is a typical example of double standards,” China’s ministry of commerce said in a statement, according to Reuters.The ministry reaffirmed Beijing’s stance on trade disputes, stating, “China’s position on tariff wars has been consistent. We do not want to fight, but we are not afraid to fight.”Beijing further accused Washington of escalating economic pressure since September, warning that the US approach was damaging trade relations.“These actions… have severely harmed China’s interests and seriously undermined the atmosphere of the economic and trade talks between the two sides,” the commerce ministry said.“Threatening high tariffs at every turn is not the right approach to engaging with China,” it added.
These remarks came after Trump announced an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting November 1, raising the overall tariff rate on Chinese imports to about 130%. Washington said the move was in response to China’s “extraordinarily aggressive” new export restrictions on rare-earth minerals.“Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position… the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying,” the US president posted on Truth Social.Trump also described Beijing’s latest export curbs as “very hostile,” claiming China had sent letters “to countries throughout the world” outlining restrictions on “each and every element of production.” having to do with rare earths.”“There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the world captive,” Trump said, vowing that the US “will financially counter their move.”The US President had also hinted that his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month may no longer take place, saying “there seems to be no reason to do so.”However, speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump clarified that the meeting hadn’t been officially canceled but admitted its fate remained uncertain. “I haven’t cancelled. However, I’m not sure if we’ll have it,” he said.Beijing on October 9 announced its decision to impose sweeping new controls on the export of rare earth elements, minerals critical to the US defense, clean energy, and electric vehicle industries. The move was framed by China as a national security measure but was widely interpreted as retaliation for Washington’s tightening semiconductor restrictions.Under the new rules, announced by China’s ministry of commerce, any company, Chinese or foreign, must now seek Beijing’s approval before exporting products containing more than 0.1% rare earth. content by value. The ministry also expanded its list of restricted materials and banned the export of rare earths for foreign military use.Rare earths, while not actually rare, are difficult to extract and process, and China dominates the global market, producing around 90% of the world’s supply.Adding to the strain, China also introduced extra port fees on US ships starting October 14 and launched an antitrust investigation into US chipmaker Qualcomm, signaling broader retaliation against Washington’s tech and trade. pressure.These moves represented China’s sharpest response in recent months, following US restrictions on semiconductor exports, blacklisting of several Chinese firms, and tighter controls on investment in Chinese. technology sectors.Beijing, however, denied any direct link between its export curbs and the US tariffs, saying the restrictions were driven by national security concerns over the military use of these critical minerals amid “Frequent global conflicts.”
