China “will fight until the end” after Trump threatens to impose more prices

Beijing (AP)-China said on Tuesday that it “fights until the end” and would take countermeasures against the United States to protect its own interests after President Donald Trump threatened An additional 50% rate on Chinese imports.

The Ministry of Commerce said that the United States’s imposition of “so-called” reciprocal prices “on China is” completely baseless and is a typical practice of unilateral intimidation “.

China, the second world economy, has taken reprisals and the ministry hinted in its last statement that more could happen.

“The countermeasures that China has taken aim to protect its interests from sovereignty, security and development and to maintain the international order of international trade. They are completely legitimate,” said the ministry.

“The American threat to degenerate the prices on China is an error in addition to an error and once again exposes the nature of blackmail of the United States. China will never accept that. If the United States insists in its own way, China will fight until the end,” he added.

The threat of Trump on Monday of additional prices on China raised new concerns that his desire to rebalance the world economy could intensify a financially destructive trade war. The Tokyo stock markets in New York have become more unstable as the tariff war is getting worse.

Trump’s threat came after China said he would retaliate Against American the prices He announced last week.

“If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above its trade abuses already long-term by tomorrow, on April 8, 2025, the United States will impose additional prices on China by 50%, from April 9,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “In addition, all discussions with China concerning their meetings requested with us will be finished!”

If Trump implements his new prices on Chinese products, American prices on Chinese products would reach 104% combined. The new taxes would also be prices of 20% announced as a punishment for fentanyl trafficking and its distinct rates of 34% announced last week. Not only could this increase the prices of American consumers, but it could also encourage China to flood other countries with cheaper goods and seek deeper relations with other business partners, in particular the European Union.

Trump frequently boasted by stock market gains during his first mandate, and the threat of losses to Wall Street was considered a potential railing on risky economic policies in his second mandate. But that was not the case, and Trump described days of financial pain if necessary.

“I don’t mind going through it because I see a beautiful photo at the end,” he said.

Trump officials frequently appeared on television to plead in favor of his policies, but none of their explanations calmed the markets. The only improvement came from a false report This best economic advisor, Kevin Hassett, said Trump was considering a break from all prices, with the exception of China. The equity prices increased before the White House denied that it was true by calling the position of “false news”.

China is one of the best trade partners in the United States, in particular for consumer goods, and prices – essentially a tax on imports paid by American companies – will ultimately be transmitted to the consumer.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the European Union would focus on trade with other countries in addition to the States “Vast opportunities” elsewhere.

The total trade in American goods with China was estimated at $ 582 billion in 2024, making it the largest trader in goods with the United States, the 2024 deficit with China in the trade in goods and services was between $ 263 billion and $ 295 billion.

In Hong Kong, where actions were slightly higher on Tuesday, CEO John Lee criticized the last American rates as “intimidation”, saying that “ruthless behavior” damaged world and multilateral trade and caused great risks and uncertainties to the world.

Lee said the city would link its economy closer to the development of China, would sign more free trade agreements, would attract more foreign companies and capital in Hong Kong, and support local businesses to cope with the impact of prices.

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The writers of the Associated Press Chris Megerian and Josh Boak in Washington, Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Taiwan and Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.