US 'opening fire' on world with tariff threats, China says
The United States is “opening fire” on the world with its threatened tariffs, China warned on Thursday, saying no one wants a trade war but it will respond the instant US measures go into effect as Beijing ramped up the rhetoric in the heated dispute.
The Trump administration's tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese imports are due to go into effect at 0401 GMT on Friday, which is just after midday in Beijing.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to escalate the trade conflict with tariffs on as much as $450 billion worth of Chinese goods if China retaliates, with the row roiling financial markets including stocks, currencies and the global trade of commodities from soybeans to coal.
China has said it will not “fire the first shot”, but its customs agency made clear on Thursday that Chinese tariffs on US goods would take effect immediately after US duties on Chinese goods kick in.
Speaking at a weekly news conference, Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng warned the proposed US tariffs would hit international supply chains, including foreign companies in the world's second-largest economy.
“If the US implements tariffs, they will actually be adding tariffs on companies from all countries, including Chinese and US companies,” Gao said.
“US measures are essentially attacking global supply and value chains. To put it simply, the US is opening fire on the entire world, including itself,” he said.
“China will not bow down in the face of threats and blackmail and will not falter from its determination to defend free trade and the multilateral system.”
Asked whether US companies would be targeted with “qualitative measures” in China in a trade war, Gao said the government would protect the legal rights of all foreign companies in the country. “We will continue to assess the potential impact of the US-initiated trade war on companies and will help companies mitigate possible shocks.”
Gao said China's foreign trade was expected to continue on a stable path in the second half of the year, though investors fear a full-blown Sino-US trade war would deal a body blow to Chinese exports and its economy.
Foreign companies accounted for $20 billion, or 59 percent, of the $34 billion of exports from China that will be subject to new US tariffs, with US firms accounting for a significant part of that 59 percent, Gao said.
Speaking at a separate briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang sidestepped a question on whether there had been efforts to initiate new talks with the United States.
“We of course don't want to fight a trade war, but if any country's legitimate interests are harmed, then of course that country has the right to firmly protect their own interests,” Lu said.
China's plans to impose tariffs on hundreds of US goods targets some top US exports, including soybeans, sorghum and cotton, threatening U.S farmers in states that backed Trump, such as Texas and Iowa.
Chinese buying of soybeans has ground almost to a halt ahead of the duties, while Chinese farmers worry the penalties and tighter supplies will drive up costs, squeeze margins and ultimately inflate retail prices of pork, the country's top-selling meat.
In the latest sign that the risk of penalties is hitting trade, a vessel carrying US coal and heading for China was diverted on Wednesday to Singapore.
US carmaker Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it has no plans currently to hike retail prices of its imported Ford and Lincoln models in China, despite steep additional tariffs on imported US vehicles set to come into play on Friday. Ford added it encouraged Washington and Beijing to resolve their issues over trade and that it would “continue to monitor the situation as it evolves”.
The World Trade Organization warned on Wednesday that trade barriers being erected by major economies could jeopardize the global economic recovery, with their effects already starting to show.
Adding to the tensions, a Chinese court this week temporarily barred Micron Technology Inc from selling its main semiconductor products in the world's biggest memory chip market, citing violation of patents held by Taiwan's United Microelectronics Corp (UMC).