China Prepares to Hit US Agriculture as Trump’s New Tariffs Loom- wna24
China is preparing to respond to new US tariffs with its own set of countermeasures, which could include tariffs on American agricultural exports, according to a report from China’s state-backed Global Times. The measures come in response to the latest trade move by President Donald Trump, who last week threatened an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, bringing the total duty to 20%.
Beijing has strongly opposed Trump’s decision, with Global Times citing an anonymous source who said that “China is studying and formulating relevant countermeasures in response to the US threat of imposing an additional 10% tariff on Chinese products under the pretext of fentanyl.” The report added that China’s response would likely include both tariff and non-tariff measures, with US agricultural and food products expected to be primary targets.
China remains the largest importer of US agricultural products, though trade between the two countries has declined in recent years. In 2024, China purchased $29.25 billion worth of US agricultural goods, a 14% drop from the previous year. Beijing has a history of targeting US farm exports during trade disputes, having placed tariffs of up to 25% on soya beans, beef, pork, wheat, corn, and sorghum in 2018 in retaliation for Trump’s previous round of duties on Chinese goods.
The timing of Trump’s tariff announcement has left Beijing with little time to respond before the measures take effect on Tuesday. It also coincides with China’s annual parliamentary meeting, where the government is expected to outline its economic priorities for 2025.
While China has expressed a willingness to negotiate, analysts say the chances of resolving tensions before the tariffs kick in are slim. “A China-US trade war is not inevitable, but Trump’s decision to impose tariffs now is a bad decision,” said Wang Dong, executive director of the Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding at Peking University, as per a report from Reuters.
“Trump and his advisers may think that imposing tariffs at this time is to put pressure on China, sending a signal, but this will backfire and China will inevitably respond strongly,” Wang added.
With no sign of trade talks between Washington and Beijing, China’s response is expected to be firm. In previous trade disputes, China has targeted key US exports, particularly in the agricultural sector, as a way of exerting political pressure.
Trump’s latest tariffs, officially justified as a response to China’s handling of fentanyl production, are likely to deepen the rift between the world’s two largest economies. As the deadline approaches, all eyes will be on Beijing’s next move.