China has responded to the new tariffs announced by the United States on all countries with whom they engage in trade under the label of “reciprocal tariffs”. The Ministry of Commerce stated that this is a classic application of unilateral bullying. According to the statement released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China expressed its opposition to the decision and indicated that it would take determined countermeasures to protect its rights and interests. The statement pointed out that the US practice, labeled as “reciprocal tariffs”, is based on subjective and unilateral assessments, making it inconsistent with international trade rules and threatening the legitimate rights and interests of relevant parties. It added, “This is a typical application of unilateral bullying which will not only harm the interests of the US but also jeopardize global economic development and supply chain stability.” The statement highlighted that the US has increased customs tariffs on all trading partners under the guise of “reciprocity” based on the claim that the international trade has damaged them, neglecting the balance of benefits achieved through years of multilateral trade negotiations and the fact that the US has greatly benefited from international trade as well. Reminding that numerous trade partners have expressed their discontent and clear opposition on this matter, the statement emphasized that history proves increasing tariffs will not solve the problems faced by the US, as there are no winners in trade wars, and protectionism is not a solution. The statement urged the US to repeal unilateral tariff measures and resolve their differences with trading partners through equal dialogue. Following the decreed by President Donald Trump to implement reciprocal tariffs on other nations starting from tomorrow, with a base tariff rate exceeding 10%, varying customs tariffs depending on the country, and considering “non-monetary barriers to trade and forms of fraud before trade”, the US will apply a total additional customs tariff rate to China of 34%, consisting of a 10% base rate and a 24% “reciprocal tariff”. The new tariffs will have the 10% base rate implemented on April 5, and the additional 24% tariff will be effective on April 9. President Trump had previously imposed a 10% tariff on imports from China on February 1, with the tariff coming into effect on February 4. On March 4, Trump increased the customs duties on imports from China from 10% to 20% with a modification to the previous decree. In response to Trump’s tariff increases, the Beijing administration had retaliated with additional tariffs on specific imported US products and sanctions on US companies.