China has strongly responded after the United States said it may raise tariffs on Chinese imports to as much as 245%. On Thursday, China’s foreign ministry said it won’t pay attention to what it called the U.S.’s “tariff numbers game,” reported Reuters.
This comes after the Trump administration announced new, much higher tariffs on Chinese goods. The White House shared a document late Tuesday explaining the decision.
“Over 75 countries are talking with us about new trade deals,” the White House said. “We have paused higher tariffs for those countries, except China, which chose to fight back.”
Because of that, the U.S. is now placing up to 245% tariffs on goods from China. However, no exact list of affected products has been shared yet.
China Restricts Exports
The U.S. also accused China of stopping exports of important materials like gallium, germanium, and antimony. These are used in cars, aircraft, electronics, and military equipment.
According to the White House, “This week, China also blocked exports of six rare earth metals and magnets, trying to limit supplies to key industries around the world.”
A Growing Trade Fight
Last week, China responded by raising its own tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%, after the U.S. placed 145% tariffs on Chinese products. China also filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
China said the U.S. tariffs “go against the whole world” and harm the global trade system, which is based on rules agreed upon by many countries.
