China weighs response to possible next round of US tariffs

Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the US to put relations back on the “right track” during a meeting with Ambassador David Perdue on Wednesday.

China said it would monitor US actions related to tariffs for alleged overcapacity and may take countermeasures, underscoring lingering friction despite a trade truce.

The US is reportedly considering a 7.5% tariff on China following investigations into alleged excess capacity. (File Photo/AP)

Commerce Ministry spokesperson Huang Ling reiterated Beijing’s opposition to the investigation into China and other economies, saying Washington has launched the probe under the “pretext of overcapacity.”

“We will continue to closely monitor and comprehensively assess subsequent US actions and reserve the right to take all necessary measures,” Huang said at a regular press briefing on Thursday in response to a question about a possible US levy.

Bloomberg News reported earlier that the US is considering a 7.5% tariff on China following investigations into alleged excess capacity. The move would mark the latest step by US President Donald Trump to resurrect his protectionist trade agenda after the Supreme Court struck down his previous import taxes. It would also bring tariffs on China to a level Beijing said the two sides agreed to during previous trade talks.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the US to put relations back on the “right track” during a meeting with Ambassador David Perdue on Wednesday, accusing Washington of introducing a series of “negative measures on unfounded grounds,” according to a Chinese statement.