China will impose tariffs ranging from 10 percent to 15 percent on imports from the United States, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced on Tuesday.
This decision follows the US government's announcement on Monday of an additional 10 percent tariff on all Chinese exports to the US, citing fentanyl-related concerns. The US policy took effect on Tuesday.
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According to a public notice from the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, China will levy a 15 percent tariff on imports of chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton from the US, starting March 10.
A 10 percent tariff will be applied to US sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables and dairy products on the same day.
US goods that departed from their country of origin before March 10, 2025, and are imported between March 10 and April 12, 2025, will not be subject to the additional tariffs specified in this announcement, the commission clarified.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday that China's countermeasures are "legitimate and necessary actions to safeguard its own rights and interests".
Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing, Lin said China will play along to the end if the US was bent on waging a trade, tariff war or any other kind of war.
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"We urge the US to abandon its bullying tactics and return to the correct path of dialogue and cooperation as soon as possible," Lin said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said China is one of the countries with the strictest and most rigorously enforced anti-drug policies in the world, adding that China and the US have engaged in extensive and in-depth anti-drug cooperation, achieving remarkable results.
"What the US side has done is a typical act of unilateralism and bullying in disregard of facts, international trade rules and the voice of all parties," the spokesperson said.
Log imports suspended
Also on Tuesday, China's General Administration of Customs announced the suspension of log imports from the US and soybean imports from three US companies.
The immediate suspension of log imports aims to prevent the introduction of harmful species and protect China's agricultural and forestry production, as well as its ecological security, the GAC said.
Chinese customs have recently detected quarantine pests, including bark beetles and long-horned beetles, in logs imported from the United States, according to the GAC.
It added that the soybean export qualification of American companies CHS Inc, Louis Dreyfus Company Grains Merchandising LLC and EGT, LLC will be suspended from March 4 after ergot and seed coating agent were detected in soybeans imported from the US.
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The move was aimed at safeguarding the health of Chinese consumers and ensuring the safety of imported grain, and was made in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations and relevant regulations of the World Trade Organization, according to the statement.
China decided to add 10 US firms, including TCOM, Limited Partnership, to the country's unreliable entity list and take corresponding measures against them.
From Tuesday on, China will prohibit the aforementioned companies from engaging in import and export activities related to China, and these companies will also be banned from making new investments within the country, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce.
The decision was made to maintain national sovereignty, security and development interests and in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the statement noted.
Action under WTO mechanism
China has initiated legal action against the United States under the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism regarding the latter's latest tariff increase on Chinese products, the Ministry of Commerce said.
Noting that the unilateral imposition of tariffs by the United States violates WTO rules and undermines the foundation of China-US economic and trade cooperation, the ministry said China expresses strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the US move.
China will resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests in accordance with WTO rules, and defend the multilateral trading system and the international economic and trade order, the ministry added.
The US company Illumina, Inc has been banned from exporting gene sequencers to China, the Ministry of Commerce announced.
The measure, effective immediately, follows China's move to add the company to its unreliable entity list on Feb 4, according to the ministry.
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China added the company to the unreliable entity list after the company was found to have violated normal market trading principles, terminated regular trade with Chinese companies, and adopted discriminatory measures against Chinese companies, thus causing serious harm to their legitimate rights and interests.
Export control list
China also announced that it has decided to add 15 US entities that endanger its national security and interests to its export control list.
Effective from Tuesday onward, the export of dual-use items to these 15 firms, including Leidos, Gibbs&Cox, Inc, and IP Video Market Info, Inc, will be prohibited, while any ongoing related export activities must be stopped immediately, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The ministry added that in exceptional cases where export is deemed necessary, the exporter must apply for approval.
The decision was made in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, a spokesperson with the ministry said in a statement -- stressing that no exporter shall be allowed to violate these control measures.
With a report from Mo Jingxi
