China’s commerce ministry has named 128 U.S. products with an import value of $3 billion that could be subjected to new tariffs, responding to the Trump administration’s push to impose tariffs on Chinese imports.
The ministry said the tariffs would apply to items including pork, wine, fruit, and steel. A 15 percent tariff would apply to dried and fresh fruit and a 25 percent tariff would apply to pork imports.
The ministry warned that actions would be taken against U.S. imports in two waves if a solution could not be reached and encouraged the U.S. to create an agreement so the relationship between China and the U.S would not be injured.
Earlier, China issued a warning that Beijing would be prepared to enter a trade war if necessary.
“China does not want a trade war with anyone,” the Chinese Embassy in Washington said in a statement Thursday. “But China is not afraid of and will not recoil from a trade war.”
“China is confident and capable of facing any challenge,” the statement continued. “If a trade war were initiated by the U.S., China would fight to the end to defend its own legitimate interests with all necessary measures.”
The Chinese Embassy further argued that the tariffs would negatively impact American consumers and labeled them “self-defeating.”
“We urge the U.S. to cease and desist, make cautious decisions, and avoid placing China-U.S. trade relations in danger with the purpose of hurting others that eventually end up hurting itself,” the statement said.
Trump signed a memo Thursday afternoon seeking tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese goods and signaled that more trade actions would follow, saying “this is the first of many.”
