China firmly opposes new US tariffs, vows countermeasures

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on January 31, 2025. Trump is imposing steep tariffs on major US trading partners Canada, Mexico and China, with a lower rate on Canadian energy imports, said the White House on February 1, 2025. [AFP]

China said Sunday it "firmly opposes" new tariffs imposed on Beijing by US President Donald Trump, vowing to take "corresponding countermeasures to resolutely safeguard our own rights and interests".

Unveiling sweeping measures against major trade partners on Saturday, Trump announced an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports on top of existing duties.

In a statement on Sunday, China's commerce ministry slammed Washington's "erroneous practices", saying Beijing was "strongly dissatisfied with this and firmly opposes it".

The ministry said Beijing would file a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization, arguing that "the unilateral imposition of tariffs by the United States seriously violates WTO rules".

It added that the duties were "not only unhelpful in solving the US's own problems, but also undermine normal economic and trade cooperation".

"China hopes that the United States will objectively and rationally view and deal with its own issues like fentanyl, rather than threatening other countries with tariffs at every turn," the ministry said.

It said Beijing "urges the US to correct its erroneous practices, meet China halfway, face up to its problems, have frank dialogues, strengthen cooperation and manage differences on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect".

In a separate statement, China's foreign ministry said "there are no winners in a trade war or tariff war".

"The practice of imposing additional tariffs is not constructive and will inevitably affect and damage future bilateral cooperation on drug control," a ministry spokesperson said.