BEIJING, China, April 11, 2025 – In a strong response to escalating trade tensions, China announced on Friday that it will increase additional customs tariffs on a wide range of U.S. imports to a staggering 125%, effective Saturday.
The move, declared by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, is a direct retaliation against the United States’ recent hike of reciprocal tariffs on Chinese goods.
The commission criticized the U.S. for imposing what it called “excessively high and unjustified” customs tariffs, stating that these measures severely violate international trade norms and are inconsistent with global economic principles. The U.S. approach, it added, reflects a policy of economic coercion and unilateralism, which undermines multilateral cooperation.
A spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Commerce also addressed the issue, holding the United States fully accountable for initiating the tariff war. The spokesperson stated that the high customs tariffs from Washington have caused widespread disruption in global markets and triggered volatility within the multilateral trading framework.
While the U.S. has shown signs of softening its position toward some trade partners, under pressure from China and others, Chinese officials dismissed these gestures as largely symbolic and insufficient. They emphasized that the fundamental strategy of using trade as a weapon for political leverage remains unchanged in U.S. policy.
In its statement, the Customs Tariff Commission noted that if the U.S. continues to raise tariffs beyond the current level, the economic consequences will be nonsensical and self-defeating. “The Chinese market can no longer absorb U.S. imports under these punitive customs duties,” the commission remarked. “If further hikes occur, China will simply disregard them.”
However, China signaled that it remains open to peaceful resolution. “While China is prepared to take firm countermeasures to defend its interests,” the Ministry of Commerce added, “it still prefers dialogue based on equality and mutual respect.”
The commission concluded that if the U.S. continues to infringe upon China’s economic sovereignty, Beijing will escalate its response, warning that China will fight resolutely if provoked further.
This intensifying trade conflict underscores a deepening rift between the world’s two largest economies, with customs duties now being wielded as tools of geopolitical pressure.