- By Priyanka Koul
- Sun, 13 Apr 2025 08:52 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
China has called on the United States to completely withdraw the tariffs introduced under former President Donald Trump’s trade policy, urging a shift towards mutual respect in their trade dealings.
The Chinese commerce ministry made this appeal after the US recently exempted smartphones, laptops, and some consumer electronics from existing tariffs. Despite this partial relief, Beijing emphasised the need for a total rollback of all such duties.
“We urge the United States to take meaningful steps to correct its mistakes, fully remove the unfair 'reciprocal tariffs' and return to a more respectful and balanced approach,” a spokesperson from the ministry said, as reported by AFP.
Using a Chinese proverb, the ministry added, “Only the one who tied the bell around the tiger’s neck can remove it,” suggesting that the US must now reverse the damage it caused with these tariffs.
Although the US has removed tariffs on certain tech items, China pointed out that most of its exports are still burdened with a steep 145% duty, following the end of a 90-day tariff suspension.
The long-standing US-China trade war took another turn last week when China raised its own tariffs on American imports from 84% to 125%, responding to Washington’s increase.
Beijing also urged other countries to stand together against what it described as US “unilateralism and economic bullying,” as it seeks to build stronger trade ties elsewhere.
In a separate statement, China's commerce ministry expressed confidence in standing firm against US pressure. “If the US continues with its tariff games, we will ignore them. But if it keeps harming our interests, we will respond strongly and won’t back down,” the ministry warned.