China raises its retaliatory tariff on the US to 84% as it vows to 'fight to the end'
Bangkok, Apr 9 (AP): China again vowed to "fight to the end" Wednesday in an escalating trade war with the US as it announced it would raise tariffs on American goods to 84% from Thursday.
Beijing also added an array of countermeasures after US President Donald Trump raised the total tariff on imports from China to 104%. Beijing said it was launching an additional suit against the US at the World Trade Organization and placed further restrictions on American companies' trade with Chinese companies.
"If the US insists on further escalating its economic and trade restrictions, China has the firm will and abundant means to take necessary countermeasures and fight to the end,” the Ministry of Commerce wrote in a statement introducing its white paper on trade with the US.
The government declined to say whether it would negotiate with the White House, as many other countries have started doing.
On Friday, China announced a 34% tariff on all goods imported from the US, export controls on rare earths minerals, and a slew of other measures in response to Trump's “Liberation Day” tariffs. Trump then added an additional 50% tariff on goods from China, saying negotiations with them were terminated.
Wednesday's newest measures include adding 11 American companies to a so-called “unreliable entities” list that would bar Chinese companies from selling them dual-use goods. Among the companies are American Photonics, and SYNEXXUS, both of whom work with the American military.
So far, China has not appeared interested in bargaining. “If the US truly wants to resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation, it should adopt an attitude of equality, respect and mutual benefit,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian Wednesday.
The paper says that the US has not honoured the promises it made in the phase 1 trade deal concluded during Trump's first term. As an example, it said that a US law that would ban TikTok unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company violates a promise that neither would "pressure the other party to transfer technology to its own individuals."
Trump signed an order to keep TikTok running for another 75 days last week after a potential deal to sell the app to American owners was put on ice. ByteDance representatives called the White House to indicate that China would no longer approve the deal until there could be negotiations about trade and tariffs.
The paper also argued that taking into account trade in services and US companies' domestic Chinese branches, economic exchange between the two countries is “roughly in balance.”
It says that China had a trade in services deficit with the US of $26.57 billion in 2023, which is composed of industries like insurance, banking and accounting. Trump's tariffs were designed to close trade deficits with foreign countries, but those were calculated only based on trades in physical, tangible goods.
“History and facts have proven that the United States' increase in tariffs will not solve its own problems,” said the statement from the Chinese commerce ministry. "Instead, it will trigger sharp fluctuations in financial markets, push up US inflation pressure, weaken the US industrial base and increase the risk of a US economic recession, which will ultimately only backfire on itself."
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Rahul Gandhi, Kharge to attend all-party meet on Pahalgam attack: Congress sources
New Delhi (PTI): Leaders of the Opposition in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, will attend the all-party meeting convened by the Centre on the Pahalgam terror attack on Thursday evening, Congress sources said.
Congress president Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi earlier attended the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, which condemned the attack that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.
The meeting at the party's 24, Akbar Road headquarters was attended by top Congress leaders, including CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Earlier, the Congress demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would be chairing the all-party meeting, take all political parties into confidence as well as build a collective resolve.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said on the night of April 22, the day the terror attack took place, his party had asked for an all-party meeting to discuss the fallout of the incident.
"Considering the extreme seriousness of the issue and the mood of the nation, the Indian National Congress expects the PM to chair the all-party meeting scheduled for 6 pm today and take all political parties into confidence and build a collective resolve," Ramesh said.
The Centre will brief leaders of various political parties on the Pahalgam terror attack and hear their views at the meeting.
