China ready to 'fight till the end' against Trump's reciprocal tariffs

US President Donald Trump, during his Congress addressed, announced that his administration will implement reciprocal tariffs on multiple nations, including China and India, starting April 2

China has declared its readiness to "fight till the end" if the United States continues with its trade war, following President Donald Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports.  

 

  In a post on X, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the US of using the fentanyl crisis as a "flimsy excuse" to justify increased tariffs on Chinese goods. "If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we are ready to fight till the end," the Chinese Embassy in the US stated in a tweet.  

 

During his address to the US Congress on Tuesday (local time), Trump confirmed that his administration would impose reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including India and China, starting April 2.  

 

 

The fentanyl dispute  

 

Trump has accused China of failing to prevent the export of chemicals used to produce fentanyl, a substance contributing to the opioid crisis in the US.  

 

China has strongly rejected these allegations, asserting that the fentanyl problem in the US is a domestic issue. "Instead of recognising our efforts, the US has sought to smear and shift blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes. They have been punishing us for helping them," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.   

 

The US is spreading all kinds of false information on the fentanyl issue, smearing and scapegoating China, and hiking tariffs on Chinese imports over fentanyl. Such moves are unjustified and will do no one good.  China’s position is clear-cut. We stand ready for practical…

— Lin Jian 林剑 (@SpoxCHN_LinJian) March 5, 2025

Beijing also sent a firm message to Washington, stating that threats and coercion would not lead to a resolution. "Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China. Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating," the Foreign Ministry added.  

 

US-China trade tensions  

 

Speaking before the Congress, Trump claimed that multiple nations, including China, impose significantly higher tariffs on US goods than the US does on their exports.  

 

“On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada … have you heard of them? And countless other nations charge us tremendously high tariffs than we charge them,” he said, adding, “It’s very unfair.”  

 

Trump further alleged that China’s average tariff on US goods is twice as high as what the US imposes on Chinese imports, while South Korea’s average tariff is four times higher. "This is happening by friends and foe. The system is not fair to the US; it never was. On April 2, reciprocal tariffs kick in. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them," he said.  

 

He also noted that if other countries use "non-monetary tariffs" to restrict American businesses, the US would respond with similar barriers.  

 

"We will take in trillions and trillions of dollars and create jobs like we have never seen before," Trump said, adding that the US has been "ripped off for decades by every country on earth" and that such practices would no longer be tolerated.  

 

China's response

 

In response, China announced additional tariffs of 10-15 per cent on specific US imports starting March 10, according to its Ministry of Finance. These tariffs will impact key American exports, including chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton.  

 

Imports of US chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton will be subject to an additional 15 per cent tariff, while sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products will face a 10 per cent increase.  

 

Additionally, China has expanded its list of unreliable US entities, adding 15 American companies, a move that could restrict their ability to engage in trade and investment within China.  

 

Bloomberg reported that China's Ministry of Commerce is considering placing at least 10 American firms — many linked to defence contracts — on an unreliable entity list. It has also added 15 companies, including General Dynamics Land Systems and Skydio Inc., to its export control list.