MOFCOM: China must retaliate if US implements new tariffs

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Europe

02:30

China's Commerce Ministry (MOFCOM) said on Thursday that it will take necessary countermeasures if the US insists on implementing a new set of 25 percent tariffs on 200 billion US dollars' worth of Chinese import.

"The US is seriously violating the WTO rules," ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a press conference. "It not only harms the interest of business and customers from both countries but also undermines the international value chain and industry chain."

The six-day public hearing of additional tariffs on Chinese imports recently ended, and over 90 percent of participants opposed the move.

China on August 3 announced countermeasures to impose additional tariffs on US imports of 60 billion US dollars and released the list of products after the US threat to impose additional tariffs on 200 US billion dollars' worth of Chinese goods.

Gao Feng said dialogue and consultation with equality and integrity are the right choices to resolve the China-US trade friction, and any pressure measures [from the US] are unreasonable and won't work.

"China will pay close attention to impact caused by the additional tariffs and take effective measures to help Chinese and foreign enterprises operating in the country tackle difficulties," Gao said, adding that China has the confidence and ability to maintain the country's stable economic development.