China blames Trump, US for escalating trade war after new tariff threats

China has strongly criticized US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese exports, accusing Washington of provoking tensions and threatening to retaliate with its own countermeasures.

In a statement on Sunday, China’s Ministry of Commerce said relations between the two countries had deteriorated rapidly since their trade talks in Madrid last month, citing a “series of new U.S. restrictions,” including the blacklisting of several Chinese firms.

“China’s position on tariff wars has been consistent: we do not want to fight, but we are not afraid to fight,” the ministry said, warning that Beijing would “resolutely take corresponding measures” if the U.S. continued down its current path.

Escalating tensions over tariffs and export controls

Trump announced Friday that the U.S. would impose “large-scale export controls” on nearly all Chinese-made products — including “all critical software” — alongside the new tariffs, set to take effect by November 1.

Beijing responded by expanding its own export restrictions, tightening controls on rare earth minerals, key materials for batteries and advanced technologies, and launching an antitrust investigation into U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm. China also introduced new port fees for American-owned vessels docking in Chinese harbors.

Strategic moves ahead of Xi-Trump meeting

Observers see Beijing’s latest measures as part of a broader strategy to gain leverage before a potential face-to-face meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming APEC summit in South Korea.

Trump initially cast doubt on whether the meeting would happen, but later suggested it was still likely.

Economic fallout and global concerns

China’s export controls have raised concerns about potential disruptions in global manufacturing, especially in industries reliant on rare earth elements. However, Beijing downplayed such fears, saying the impact on supply chains would be “extremely limited” and that export approvals for civilian use “need not worry.”

The confrontation marks a sharp reversal from the temporary truce reached in Geneva in May, which had paused months of tit-for-tat tariff escalations. Earlier this year, the U.S. had imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, prompting Beijing’s 125% retaliatory levies on U.S. imports.

As of Sunday, neither the White House, US Trade Representative, nor the Treasury Department had commented on Beijing’s latest response.

The renewed tariff threats and countermeasures signal a major escalation in the U.S.-China trade conflict — and raise the risk of renewed disruption to global markets and supply chains.