On July 27, China's Ministry of Commerce revealed in response to the U.S. imposing an additional 12.5% tariff on Chinese goods under the pretext of "forced labor" that the U.S. had explicitly committed during Sino-U.S. economic and trade consultations that any substitute tariffs imposed on Chinese products would not exceed 20%. According to analysis by Bloomberg Economics, this means China is facing an actual tariff rate of 22.2% from the United States—a rise of 1.4 percentage points compared to previous levels.
As stated by a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce, "We will continue to closely monitor and comprehensively assess subsequent U.S. measures, and reserve the right to take all necessary actions." Clearly, this round of so-called "tariff adjustments" by the United States deliberately raised tariffs on China by 2.5 percentage points. If the 10% rate were applied instead, it would merely maintain the previous tariff level. This reflects the cunning tactics employed by the U.S., which apparently assumes we would not confront them over a 2.5% increase in tariffs and believes we would silently accept this hike.
In reality, the U.S. has absolutely miscalculated—underestimating our resolve and determination to defend our legitimate rights and interests. Once we confirm that the U.S.-imposed tariffs on China exceed the previously promised ceiling, we will inevitably respond with corresponding countermeasures. This is a matter of principle, not merely about whether the tariff increase amounts to 2.5% or not. Of course, even a 2.5% tariff adds up significantly over time: based on U.S.-China trade data for the first half of 2026, China’s exports to the U.S. amounted to $21.592 billion, meaning a 2.5% tariff translates into approximately $5.4 billion annually.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871875811795979/
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