Trade Beijing threatens US government with "fight to the finish" in tariff dispute
Following the announcement of massive new tariffs by US President Donald Trump, Beijing has ruled out backing down. "If you want to fight to the end, we will fight to the end," said a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
14.10.2025, 06:08
SDA
"If you want to negotiate, our door is still open," the spokesperson added. Beijing criticized the contradictory behavior of the US government. "The US cannot seek dialog and threaten new restrictive measures at the same time," said the spokesperson. This is not the "correct" way to deal with China.
In response to stricter Chinese controls in connection with the export of rare earths, Trump announced additional tariffs of 100 percent against China on Friday. China's Ministry of Commerce responded by stating that Trump's tariff policy was evidence of "double standards".
"Don't worry about China"
On Sunday, Trump then struck a conciliatory tone. "Don't worry about China, everything will be fine," he explained on his online service Truth Social. The USA wanted to "help China, not hurt it".
Rare earths are a key issue in the trade conflict between Beijing and Washington. They are used in a range of technologies - from wind turbines to batteries for electric cars. China is an important producer of the materials and by far the market leader in processing them. The country has registered a number of patents that prevent other countries from setting up their own industry.
Chinese goods are currently subject to US tariffs of 30 percent. In return, China levies tariffs of ten percent.
