Key facts
- China's Ministry of Commerce stated new U.S. tariffs are unjustified and protectionist.
- The U.S. imposed tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on Chinese goods, citing forced labor concerns.
- Beijing urged the U.S. to remove the unilateral tariff measures.
- China reserved the right to take necessary measures in response to U.S. actions.
China's Ministry of Commerce stated on Monday that new U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese goods over alleged forced labor were unjustified and amounted to protectionism, urging Washington to remove them. The U.S. had previously imposed new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, including China, alleging failure to curb imports made by forced labor. China was assigned the 12.5% rate.
The ministry accused Washington of manipulating the issue of forced labor and called the new tariffs a typical act of unilateralism and protectionism, while signaling willingness to continue dialogue based on mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit. China stated it has a comprehensive system of labor laws and regulations to prevent and combat forced labor practices, contrasting it with the U.S. not ratifying the 1930 Forced Labour Convention.