In a bold escalation of rhetoric, China has declared that it will no longer respond to any additional tariffs imposed by the United States on its exports, signaling a sharp turn in its strategy amid rising trade tensions. The statement came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a fresh 125% tariff on Chinese goods, taking the cumulative tariff burden to a staggering 145% this year.
“If Washington continues targeting Chinese exports with tariffs, China will simply disregard such moves,” said China’s Ministry of Commerce. “Should the U.S. persist with raising tariffs, it will eventually lose all economic rationale and go down as a farce in the history of global trade,” the statement added, as per translation.
The announcement followed Beijing’s decision to hike tariffs on American goods to 125%, effective April 12, in retaliation to the U.S. move. This marks the highest escalation in the trade dispute since earlier this year when the U.S. levied a 20% duty citing China’s alleged role in the fentanyl supply chain.
President Donald Trump’s administration, while announcing the new tariffs, offered a 90-day pause on fresh levies for over 70 countries — excluding China. The pause includes a baseline 10% reciprocal tariff for countries that have not retaliated, signaling a selective approach in the ongoing global trade standoff.
In a strong rebuttal to Washington’s actions, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the issue during his meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, stating, “There are no winners in a tariff war, and standing against the world ultimately results in self-isolation.” He added that China’s development over the past seven decades has been driven by self-reliance and resilience, not foreign handouts, and that it will not bow to “unreasonable suppression.”
With both sides refusing to back down and rhetoric intensifying, global markets are bracing for another prolonged phase of economic uncertainty. While the U.S. frames its tariffs as a strategic move, China’s decision to “ignore” further measures could either de-escalate the situation or reflect a deeper confidence in weathering the storm without retaliatory tit-for-tat action.
