TAIPEI, Taiwan – Beijing accused the United States of “pressuring other countries” to curb trade, following media reports that the Trump administration will use tariff relief as leverage to push nations to scale back their economic ties with China.
More than 70 countries have expressed interest in negotiating trade deals, according to the U.S., after U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month announced a 90-day pause on his “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from dozens of countries.
“China firmly opposes any party striking a deal at the expense of China’s interests,” a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said Monday, accusing the U.S. of using “reciprocity” as a cover to exert dominance in trade and economic matters.
“Seeking tariff exemptions at the expense of others’ interests is like making a deal with the tiger for its skin – it will ultimately backfire and hurt all parties involved,” said the spokesperson, vowing “reciprocal countermeasures,” without elaborating.
The ministry’s statement came after Bloomberg News last week reported that the Trump administration intended to push countries seeking relief from tariffs to reduce their trade with China.
U.S. officials were discussing plans to pressure other nations to stop importing excess goods from China and impose duties on imports from specific countries with close ties to Beijing, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The U.S. and China are waging a tit-for-tat trade battle, which threatens to stunt the global economy, after Trump announced new tariffs on most countries.
Specifically, the Trump administration has ramped up its trade war with Beijing by hiking import taxes on Chinese goods to as high as 145%
China, which has pledged to “fight to the end” if Washington continues to escalate the trade spat, has hit back by imposing duties of 125% on U.S. exports.
Trump on Easter Sunday posted about a ‘non-tariff cheating’ list, warning trade partners of non-tariff-related offenses that could spoil relations with the United States. The eight-point list included currency manipulation, export subsidies, counterfeiting, and transshipping.
“These non-tariff barriers are just as bad as tariffs – maybe worse,” Trump’s post on Truth Social read, drawing attention to practices such as currency manipulation, value-added taxes acting as export subsidies, product dumping and government-backed export incentives.
He also named counterfeit goods, IP theft, protectionist technical standards, and transshipping to dodge tariffs as part of what he sees as a global playbook of economic sabotage.
“Yeah, we’re talking to China. I would say they have reached out a number of times,” Trump told reporters last week, hinting at renewed negotiations with Beijing.
He earlier said that Washington and Beijing were in talks on tariffs, expressing confidence that the world’s two largest economies would reach a deal over the next three to four weeks.
Edited by Taejun Kang and Stephen Wright.
