China Slaps 125% Tariffs on U.S. Goods, Xi Urges EU to Resist 'Trump Bullying'

China Slaps 125% Tariffs on U.S. Goods, Xi Urges EU to Resist 'Trump Bullying', Latest news: Beijing [China], April 11, 2025 (ANI): In a sharp retaliation to the latest U.S. tariff hikes, China on Friday announced a steep increase in tariffs on all American imports—raising the rate to 125 percent from the previous 84 percent, effective April 12.

According to Chinese state media Xinhua, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said the decision was taken in response to what it described as “unreasonable” U.S. actions. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has also filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the U.S., ANI reported citing Xinhua.

In his first public statement on the escalating U.S.-China trade war, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against protectionism, saying, “There is no winner in a tariff war, and going against the world will only result in self-isolation.” Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing.
President Xi called on the European Union to join China in resisting unilateralism and economic coercion. “China and the EU must shoulder their international responsibilities and work together to safeguard economic globalization and a fair global trading environment,” Xi said.

China's tariff commission stated that U.S. goods no longer have any market competitiveness under the current tariff levels. It added that if Washington imposes further tariffs on Chinese exports, Beijing will not respond with additional hikes. “Even if the U.S. imposes higher tariffs, it would make no economic sense and will go down as a joke in world economic history,” the statement said, as reported by Xinhua.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has already imposed a 145 percent tariff on all Chinese goods, according to the White House. President Donald Trump paused most tariffs on April 10 for a 90-day review but raised them specifically for China. He cited Beijing’s retaliatory actions—such as its earlier 84 percent tariff rate—as justification for increasing the U.S. tariff to 125 percent on top of an existing 20 percent, resulting in a total duty of 145 percent on Chinese imports.

Beijing condemned the move as a blatant violation of international trade norms. “The excessively high tariffs imposed by the U.S. seriously violate international economic and trade rules, defy basic economic logic, and reflect unilateral bullying,” China said. It further warned that if its core interests are harmed, it will respond with firm countermeasures.