China has accused the US of “double requirements” after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose an extra one hundred pc tariff on Chinese language items in response to Beijing’s curbs on exports of uncommon earth minerals.
China says its export management measures introduced final week have been in response to the US restrictions on its entities and focusing on of Beijing’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries.
Really useful Tales
checklist of 4 objectsfinish of checklist
Trump’s tariff threats, which come weeks forward of the probably assembly between the US president and his Chinese language counterpart Xi Jinping, have the potential to reignite a commerce conflict months after Washington lowered the China tariffs from 125 to 30 p.c.
The actions by the world’s two largest economies threaten to ignite a brand new commerce conflict, including additional uncertainty to international commerce. So what’s the current historical past of US commerce measures in opposition to China, and can the 2 international locations have the ability to resolve their variations?
Why did China tighten export controls on uncommon earths?
On October 9, China expanded export controls to cowl 12 out of 17 rare-earth metals and sure refining tools, efficient December 1, after accusing Washington of harming China’s pursuits and undermining “the environment of bilateral financial and commerce talks”.
China additionally positioned restrictions on the export of specialist technological tools used to refine rare-earth metals on Thursday.
Beijing justified its measures, accusing Washington of imposing a sequence of commerce curbs on Chinese language entities regardless of the 2 sides being engaged in commerce talks, with the final one happening in Madrid, Spain final month.
Overseas corporations now want Beijing’s approval to export merchandise containing Chinese language uncommon earths, and should disclose their meant use. China stated the heightened restrictions come because of nationwide safety pursuits.
China has a close to monopoly over uncommon earths, vital for the manufacture of expertise corresponding to electrical vehicles, smartphones, semiconductors and weapons.
The US is a significant shopper of Chinese language uncommon earths, that are essential for the US defence business.
On the finish of this month, Trump and Xi are anticipated to satisfy in South Korea, and consultants speculate that Beijing’s transfer was to realize bargaining benefit in commerce negotiations with Washington.
China’s tightening of restrictions on uncommon earths is “pre-meeting choreography” earlier than Trump’s assembly with Xi, Kristin Vekasi, the Mansfield chair of Japan and Indo-Pacific Affairs on the College of Montana, informed Al Jazeera.
How did Trump reply?
On October 10, Trump introduced the imposition of a one hundred pc tariff on China, efficient from November 1.
“Primarily based on the truth that China has taken this unprecedented place … the US of America will impose a Tariff of one hundred pc on China, over and above any Tariff that they’re at the moment paying,” Trump wrote in a publish on his Reality Social platform.
He added that this might come into impact on November 1 or earlier than that. Trump added that the US would additionally impose export controls on “any and all vital software program”.
Earlier on October 10, Trump accused China of “commerce hostility” and even stated he would possibly scrap his assembly with Xi. It’s unclear at this level whether or not the assembly will happen.
“What the US has is we’ve got a variety of leverage, and my hope, and I do know the president’s hope, is that we don’t have to make use of that leverage,” US Vice President JD Vance informed Fox Information on Sunday.
How did China reply to that?
China deemed the US retaliation a “double customary”, based on remarks by the Chinese language Ministry of Commerce spokesperson on Sunday.
China stated that Washington had “overstretched the idea of nationwide safety, abused export management measures” and “adopted discriminatory practices in opposition to China”.
“We live in an period of deeper intertwining of safety and financial insurance policies. Each the US and China have expanded their conceptions of nationwide safety, encompassing a variety of financial actions,” Manoj Kewalramani, chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Research Programme on the Takshashila Establishment in Bangalore, India, informed Al Jazeera.
“Each have additionally weaponised financial interdependence with one another and third events. There are, in different phrases, no saints on this sport.”
Kewalramani stated that China began increasing the thought of “nationwide safety” a lot sooner than others, particularly with its “complete nationwide safety idea” launched in 2014.
By way of this, China started to incorporate many various areas, corresponding to economics, expertise, and society, beneath the time period “nationwide safety”. This reveals that China was forward of different international locations in broadening what counts as a nationwide safety situation.
China threatened further measures if Trump went forward along with his pledge.
“Willful threats of excessive tariffs aren’t the proper method to get together with China. China’s place on the commerce conflict is constant: we don’t need it, however we aren’t afraid of it,” the Chinese language Commerce Ministry spokesperson stated in an announcement.
“Ought to the US persist in its course, China will resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its official rights and pursuits,” the assertion stated.
What commerce measures has the US taken in opposition to China in current historical past?
2025: Trump unleashes tariff conflict
A month after taking workplace for his second time period, Trump signed an government order imposing a ten p.c tariff on all imports from China, citing a commerce deficit in favour of China. On this order, he additionally imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada. China levied countermeasures, imposing duties on US merchandise in retaliation.
In March, the US president doubled the tariff on all Chinese language merchandise to twenty p.c as of March 4. China imposed a 15 p.c tariff on a variety of US farm exports in retaliation; these took impact on March 10.
Trump introduced his “reciprocal tariffs,” imposing a 34 p.c tariff on Chinese language merchandise. China retaliated, additionally saying a 34 p.c tariff on US merchandise. This was the primary time China introduced export controls on uncommon earths.
Hours after the reciprocal tariffs went into impact, Trump paused them for all his tariff targets besides China. The US and China continued to hike tit-for-tat levies on one another.
Trump slapped 145 p.c tariffs on Chinese language imports, prompting China to hit again with 125 p.c tariffs. Washington and Beijing later reduce tariffs to 30 p.c and 10 p.c, respectively, in Might, then agreed to a 90-day truce in August for commerce talks. The truce has been prolonged twice.
December 2024: The microchip controls are tightened
In December 2024, Trump’s predecessor, former US President Joe Biden, tightened controls on the sale of microchips first launched on October 2022.
Underneath the brand new controls, 140 corporations from China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore have been added to an inventory of restricted entities. The US additionally banned extra superior chip-making tools to sure international locations. Even merchandise manufactured overseas with US expertise have been restricted.
April 2024: Biden indicators the TikTok ban
Biden signed a invoice into legislation that will ban TikTok until it was bought to a non-Chinese language purchaser inside a yr. The US authorities alleged that TikTok’s Chinese language father or mother firm ByteDance was linked to the Chinese language authorities, making the app a risk to nationwide safety.
ByteDance sued the US federal authorities over this invoice in Might 2024.
In September this yr, Trump introduced {that a} deal was finalised to discover a new proprietor of TikTok.
October 2023: Biden introduces extra restrictions on chips
In October 2023, Biden restricted US exports of superior laptop chips, particularly these made by Nvidia, to China and different international locations.
The purpose of this measure was to restrict China’s entry to “superior semiconductors that might gasoline breakthroughs in synthetic intelligence and complicated computer systems which are vital to [Chinese] army purposes,” Gina Raimondo, who was secretary of the US Division of Commerce in the course of the Biden administration, informed reporters.
Previous to this, Biden signed an government order in August 2023, making a programme that limits US investments in sure high-tech areas, together with semiconductors, quantum computing, and synthetic intelligence, in international locations deemed to be a safety threat, like China.
October 2022: Biden restricts Chinese language entry to semiconductors
Biden restricted China’s entry to US semiconductors in October 2022. The principles additional expanded restrictions on chipmaking instruments to incorporate industries that assist the semiconductor provide chain, blocking each entry to American experience and the important parts utilized in manufacturing the instruments that produce microchips.
Semiconductors are used within the manufacturing of synthetic intelligence (AI) applied sciences. The US authorities positioned these restrictions again then to restrict China’s means to amass the flexibility to provide semiconductors and advance within the technological race.
The restrictions made it obligatory for entities inside China to use for licences to amass American semiconductors. Evaluation by the US-based Carnegie Endowment for Worldwide Peace described these licences as “laborious to get” again then.
Lately, some US lawmakers are calling for much more restrictions, warning that China might rapidly reverse-engineer superior semiconductor applied sciences by itself, outpace the US within the sector, and acquire a army edge.
Might 2020: Trump cracks down on Huawei
In Might 2020, the US Bureau of Trade and Safety intensified guidelines to cease Huawei, the Chinese language tech large, from utilizing American expertise and software program to design and make semiconductors in different international locations.
The brand new guidelines stated that semiconductors are designed for Huawei utilizing US expertise or tools, anyplace on this planet, would wish US authorities approval earlier than being despatched to Huawei.
Might 2019: Trump bans Huawei
Trump signed an government order blocking Chinese language telecommunications corporations like Huawei from promoting tools within the US. The Shenzhen-based Huawei is the world’s largest supplier of 5G networks, based on evaluation by the New York Metropolis-based suppose tank the Council on Overseas Relations (CFR).
Underneath this order, Huawei and 114 associated entities have been added to an inventory that requires US corporations to get particular permission (a licence) earlier than promoting sure applied sciences to them.
The rationale behind this order was the allegation that Huawei threatened US nationwide safety, had stolen mental property and will commit cyber espionage. Some US lawmakers alleged that the Chinese language authorities was utilizing Huawei to spy on Individuals. The US didn’t publicise any proof to again these allegations.
Different Western international locations had additionally cooperated with the US.
March 2018: Trump imposes tariffs on China
Throughout his first administration, Trump imposed sweeping 25 p.c tariffs on Chinese language items value as a lot as $60bn. In June of 2018, Trump introduced extra tariffs.
China retaliated by imposing tariffs on US merchandise. Beijing deemed Trump’s commerce insurance policies “commerce bullyism practices”, based on an official white paper, as reported by Xinhua information company.
In September 2018, Trump issued one other spherical of 10 p.c tariffs on Chinese language merchandise, which have been hiked to 25 p.c in Might 2019.
In the course of the Obama administration (2009-2017)
In 2011, throughout US President Barack Obama’s tenure, the US-China commerce deficit reached an all-time excessive of $295.5bn, up from $273.1bn within the earlier yr.
In March 2012, the US, European Union, and Japan formally complained to China on the World Commerce Group (WTO) about China’s limits on promoting uncommon earth metals to different international locations. This transfer was deemed “rash and unfair” by China.
In its ruling, the world commerce physique stated China’s export restraints have been breaching the WTO guidelines.
In 2014, the US indicted 5 Chinese language nationals with alleged ties to China’s Folks’s Liberation Military. They have been charged with stealing commerce expertise from American corporations.
What’s subsequent for the US-China commerce conflict?
Trump and Xi are anticipated to satisfy in South Korea on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation (APEC), which is ready to start on October 31.
However the newest commerce dispute has clouded the Xi-Trump assembly.
On Sunday, Trump posted on his Reality Social platform, downplaying the risk: “Don’t fear about China, it can all be fantastic! Extremely revered President Xi simply had a nasty second. He doesn’t need Despair for his nation, and neither do I. The united statesA. needs to assist China, not harm it!!!”
In an interview with Fox Enterprise Community on Monday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, “President Trump stated that the tariffs wouldn’t go into impact till November 1. He shall be assembly with [Communist] Occasion Chair Xi in [South] Korea. I consider that assembly will nonetheless be on.”
On the subject of which of the 2 gamers is extra affected by the commerce conflict, Kewalramani stated that he thinks “what issues is who’s keen to bear better ache, endure better value”.
“That is the essential query. I’d wager that Beijing might be higher positioned as a result of Washington has alienated allies and companions with its insurance policies since January. However then, China’s rising export controls aren’t merely aimed on the US. They impression each nation. So Beijing has not additionally endeared itself to anybody,” Kewalramani stated, declaring how Trump’s tariffs and China’s uncommon earth restrictions goal a number of international locations.
“Those affected probably the most are international locations caught within the midst of nice energy competitors.”
On Sunday, US VP Vance informed Fox Information about China: “In the event that they reply in a extremely aggressive method, I assure you, the president of the US has way more playing cards than the Folks’s Republic of China.”
Kewalramani stated that thus far, Beijing has been extra organised, ready and strategic than the US in its insurance policies.
“That stated, it has overreached with the newest spherical of export controls. US coverage, in the meantime, has lacked strategic coherence. The US nonetheless is the dominant international energy and has a number of playing cards to play. What issues, nonetheless, is whether or not it may possibly get its home so as.”