{"id":15328,"date":"2025-04-04T17:00:53","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T17:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/?p=15328"},"modified":"2025-04-04T17:06:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T17:06:44","slug":"china-hits-back-trade-war-with-u-s-escalates-amid-rare-earths-and-tariff-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/2025\/04\/04\/china-hits-back-trade-war-with-u-s-escalates-amid-rare-earths-and-tariff-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"China Hits Back: Trade War with U.S. Escalates Amid Rare Earths and Tariff Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watan<\/strong><\/em>-On Friday, China announced it has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over tariffs imposed by the United States on its exports. In a statement, China\u2019s Ministry of Commerce said, \u201cChina has filed a complaint under the WTO\u2019s dispute settlement mechanism.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, Chinese customs authorities announced retaliatory tariffs of 34% on U.S. imports starting April 10. Additionally, Beijing imposed controls on the export of medium and heavy rare earth metals to the U.S. beginning April 4.<\/p>\n

This move is considered a strike at a \u201cpain point\u201d for the U.S., as these materials are essential for semiconductor production and artificial intelligence technologies. China holds the largest share of these minerals globally, threatening to further disrupt a sensitive sector in the U.S.\u2014a sector heavily promoted by Donald Trump, but already shaken by fierce Chinese competition.<\/p>\n

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U.S. President Donald Trump escalates trade tensions with Canada,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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China Strikes Back: Tariffs and Sanctions Shake Global Markets<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

China\u2019s Ministry of Commerce stated:\u201cThe purpose of imposing export controls is to better safeguard national security and interests, in accordance with the law and international obligations.\u201d Beijing also added 11 entities to its “unreliable entity list,” allowing for punitive measures against foreign companies.<\/p>\n

These steps were taken in response to Trump\u2019s recent announcement of 34% tariffs on Chinese goods, part of a wider trade tariff initiative against multiple global partners.<\/p>\n

With the new measures, total U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports have surged to 54%, up from a previous 20%. Beijing denounced the U.S. decision, calling the tariffs \u201cunilateral and self-serving\u201d and a violation of international trade rules.<\/p>\n

Reacting to China\u2019s move, Trump claimed Beijing had \u201cpanicked,\u201d writing on his Truth Social platform:
\u201cChina messed up. They panicked. It\u2019s the one thing they can\u2019t afford!\u201d<\/p>\n

Oil prices dropped sharply on Friday following China<\/a>\u2019s announcements. Brent crude for June delivery fell 4.99% to $66.64 per barrel, hitting its lowest level since December 2021. West Texas Intermediate dropped 5.23% to $63.45 per barrel.<\/p>\n

European stock markets also suffered steep losses on Friday due to the escalating trade confrontation between the world\u2019s two largest economies:<\/p>\n