China accuses US of 'double standards' over Trump's 100% tariff threat

Beijing called Trump's new tariff plan 'a typical example of double standards', warning of countermeasures as fresh restrictions on rare earth exports deepen trade tensions before the Xi-Trump summit

China has accused the United States of practising “double standards” after President Donald Trump announced plans to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on Chinese goods, sharply escalating trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

 

“The relevant US statement is a typical example of ‘double standards’,” an unnamed spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Sunday in a statement published online, reported AFP.

 

The ministry said that Washington’s repeated threats of tariffs were not a constructive way to engage with Beijing. “Threatening high tariffs at every turn is not the right approach to engaging with China,” the statement added.

 

 

Trump's tariff threat

 

On Friday, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the new tariffs on China, due to take effect on November 1, would apply “over and above any tariff that they are currently paying”. He said the move was a response to what he called China’s “extraordinarily aggressive” export restrictions on rare earth minerals.

 

In the same post, Trump revealed plans to impose export controls on “any and all critical software” and threatened to cancel his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. 

Also Read | US retailers remove millions of banned Chinese electronics

 

The new tariffs could lift total import duties on Chinese goods to around 130 per cent, just below levels reached before a temporary truce earlier this year.

 

Beijing warns of countermeasures

 

Beijing responded by unveiling fresh export controls on rare earth materials and related technologies, citing national security grounds. Exporters of items containing even traces of these minerals will now require special licences.

 

In its statement, the Chinese commerce ministry described Beijing's countermeasures as “necessary and defensive actions” and warned that it would take “corresponding measures” to safeguard its rights if the US persisted.

 

“These actions have severely harmed China’s interests and seriously undermined the atmosphere of the economic and trade talks between the two sides,” the ministry said.

 

What's the tussle over rare earths?

 

Rare earth minerals remain the core of the dispute between the two economic giants. These materials are essential for manufacturing semiconductors, electric vehicles, and defence equipment. Earlier this year, China had suspended rare earth exports after the US raised tariffs, before both sides agreed to resume talks. 

Also Read | China hits back at US ships with additional port fees from October 14

 

According to China’s commerce ministry, the latest export control measures had been “fully assessed” and were not intended as a ban. It added that exporters meeting regulatory standards would continue to receive approval.

 

Will Xi–Trump meeting happen?

 

Despite the tough rhetoric, Trump hinted he might reconsider the tariffs if Beijing withdraws its export restrictions. “That’s why I made it Nov 1st - we’ll see what happens,” he said on Friday.

 

Trade experts warned that the renewed confrontation underscores how fragile US–China relations remain. Wendy Cutler, a former US trade negotiator, told Bloomberg that the escalating measures “highlight how unstable the bilateral relationship remains” and questioned whether “cooler heads will prevail”.