BEIJING, April 8 (Alliance News): China slammed US President Donald Trump’s latest threat to impose an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods, calling it “blackmail” and vowing to respond decisively if the United States escalates the trade dispute.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a strongly worded statement on Tuesday that the US tariff escalation was a “mistake on top of a mistake,” accusing Washington of “bullying” and threatening retaliation if the new duties are enforced.
“If the US insists on having its way, China will fight to the end,” the statement read.
Trump warned that the fresh 50% tariff would be implemented Wednesday unless China rolled back the 34% counter-tariffs it imposed last week. Those were in direct response to Trump’s earlier 34% “reciprocal” tariff hike, which came on top of a 20% increase earlier this year.
If both sides follow through, the cumulative US tariff on Chinese imports could rise to a staggering 104%—a drastic escalation in the ongoing trade war that has already shaken global markets and triggered the largest stock market losses since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Economists have raised doubts about the effectiveness of further tariff hikes. Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said: “Since China already faces a tariff rate in excess of 60%, it doesn’t matter if it goes up by 50% or 500%.”
Xu suggested that China may retaliate not just with tariffs, but also by halting US agricultural purchases and expanding export controls, particularly over strategic chemical elements.
The intensifying trade standoff adds to global economic uncertainty and marks a sharp return to aggressive tariff policies not seen since Trump’s first term. The potential fallout is expected to impact industries on both sides of the Pacific, from manufacturing and technology to agriculture.
