China has struck back at President Trump on Friday.
In a rapid fire series of policy announcements, including 34 percent across-the-board tariffs, three government agencies in Beijing showed that China has no intention of backing down in the trade war that Mr. Trump began this week with his own steep tariffs on imports from around the world.
China’s Finance Ministry said it will match Mr. Trump’s plan for 34 percent tariffs on goods from China with its own 34 percent tariff on imports from the United States.
Separately, China’s Ministry of Commerce said it was adding 11 American companies to its list of “unreliable entities,” essentially barring them from doing business in China or with Chinese companies. The ministry imposed stringent limits on exports of seven rare earth elements that are mined almost exclusively in China and are used in everything from electric cars to smart bombs.
The commerce ministry also announced it was beginning two trade investigations into American exports of medical imaging equipment — one of the few manufacturing categories in which the United States remains internationally competitive.
China’s General Administration of Customs said that it would halt chicken imports from five of America’s biggest exporters of agricultural commodities and sorghum imports from a sixth company.
China’s new tariffs will hit fewer goods than President Trump’s tariffs only because China sells far more to the United States than it buys. China bought $147.8 billion worth of American semiconductors, fossil fuels, agricultural goods and other products last year. It sold $426.9 billion worth of smartphones, furniture, toys and many other products.
But while President Trump’s tariffs exempted some large categories of imports, like semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, the Chinese tariffs have no exemptions.
China’s Finance Ministry issued a statement strongly criticizing Mr. Trump’s tariffs, which will begin to take effect on Saturday and fully kick in next Wednesday. “This practice of the U.S. is not in line with international trade rules, seriously undermines China’s legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice,” the ministry said.
The Chinese tariffs are scheduled to take effect next Thursday — 12 hours after the American tariffs take effect.
China’s restrictions on exports of rare earth metals appear to halt a similar, two-month freeze on such shipments to Japan in 2010 during a territorial dispute, although that export embargo was never published but was handled instead through direct orders to companies with export quotas.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Claire Fu contributed reporting from Seoul.
