Multiple Chinese ministries, business community firmly deplore and oppose US tariff move

Published: February 04,2025

In response to the US imposing tariffs on Chinese goods, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that China firmly deplores and opposes this move and will take necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.

China’s position is firm and consistent. Trade and tariff wars have no winners. The US’ unilateral tariff hikes severely violate WTO rules. This move cannot solve the US’ problems at home and more importantly, does not benefit either side, still less the world, the ministry added.

China has one of the strictest and most thorough drug control policies in the world. The fentanyl crisis is a US issue. In a humanitarian spirit, China has supported US efforts to address fentanyl crisis. At the US’ request, China became the first country in 2019 to officially list the entire class of fentanyl substances. China and the US have engaged in extensive anti-drug cooperation with notable results, which are widely recognized. The US should address its fentanyl crisis objectively and rationally, rather than using tariffs to pressure other nations. Additional tariffs are not constructive and will undermine future cooperation on drug control, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

China is one of the world’s toughest countries on counternarcotics both in terms of policy and its implementation. Fentanyl is an issue for the US. In the spirit of humanity and goodwill, China has given support to the US’s response to this issue. At the US’s request, China announced back in 2019 the decision to officially schedule fentanyl-related substances as a class. We are the first country in the world to do so. China has conducted counternarcotics cooperation with the US side in a broad-based way. The achievements we have made are there for all to see, the ministry emphasized.

The US needs to view and solve its own fentanyl issue in an objective and rational way instead of threatening other countries with arbitrary tariff hikes. Additional tariffs are not constructive and bound to affect and harm the counternarcotics cooperation between the two sides in the future, the ministry said, noting that China calls on the US to correct its wrongdoings, maintain the hard-won positive dynamics in the counternarcotics cooperation, and promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-US relationship.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday to impose a 10-percent tariff on goods imported from China. According to the executive order, the US also imposed a 25-percent tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada.

China will file a lawsuit with the WTO regarding the wrongful practices of the US in imposing tariffs on Chinese goods and will take corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said in a statement on Sunday. “China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods,” the ministry said.

The unilateral imposition of tariffs by the US seriously violates WTO rules. It does not contribute to resolving its own issues, but also undermines normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the US, read the MOFCOM statement.

China hopes that the US will view and address its own issues, such as fentanyl, in an objective and rational manner, instead of using tariffs as a coercive measure against other nations, the MOFCOM said.

China urges the US to correct its erroneous practices, meet the Chinese side halfway, confront issues directly, engage in candid dialogue, strengthen cooperation, and manage differences based on equality, mutual benefit, and respect, according to the MOFCOM.

The latest US trade protectionist measure has drawn widespread opposition both domestically and internationally, according to Xinhua News Agency on Sunday.

China’s trade promotion agency, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), issued a statement on Sunday evening, expressing deep regret and strong opposition from China’s industrial and business sectors regarding the US action. 

The unilateral tariff hike by the US severely violates WTO rules and will force US companies and consumers to bear the cost. It disrupts normal trade and economic cooperation between China and impacts the stability of the global supply chain, a spokesperson said in the statement. There are no winners in trade and tariff wars, the spokesperson said, calling on the US to halt its erroneous actions and collaborate with other nations to promote global economic stability and growth as well as to inject stability and positive energy to global economic development.

A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Public Security on Sunday night expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the US decision to impose a 10-percent additional tariff on imports from China under the pretext of fentanyl-related issues.

China is one of the countries with the strictest drug control policies and the most rigorous enforcement in the world, said the spokesperson, adding that China has consistently and resolutely fulfilled its international drug control obligations and actively engaged in international anti-drug cooperation with countries around the world, including the US.

Despite the absence of widespread abuse domestically, China became the first country in the world to officially schedule fentanyl-related substances as a class in 2019 out of humanitarian goodwill and at the request of the U.S. side, said the spokesperson. However, the United States has not scheduled fentanyl-related substances as a class on a permanent basis.

Since China’s regulation, there have been no reports from the United States of seizures of such substances originating from China, added the spokesperson.
In recent years, China and the US have made visible progress in practical cooperation on drug control in such areas as substance regulation, intelligence exchange, and case cooperation, producing tangible benefits, according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson noted that the root cause of the fentanyl crisis in the US lies in itself, and reducing domestic drug demand and strengthening law enforcement cooperation are the fundamental solutions.

Shifting blame onto other nations not only fails to resolve the issue but also erodes the foundation of trust and cooperation in the field of drug control between China and the United States, said the spokesperson.

China urges the US to correct its wrongdoings and safeguard the hard-won progress in bilateral drug control cooperation, so as to promote the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations, the spokesperson said.

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