China Shows No Signs of Backing Down, Urges U.S. to Withdraw Tariff Threat

China refused on Monday to yield in its ongoing trade dispute with the United States, calling on President Donald Trump to withdraw his latest threat of a 100% tariff and other export control measures announced over the weekend.

In the latest escalation of the trade war between the two nations, Trump issued the tariff threat on all Chinese imports to the United States after China imposed tighter restrictions on rare earth elements—a vital resource used in electronics—last Thursday.

The Chinese announcement appeared to catch Trump by surprise, who described it as an “unexpected move.” While Trump has not retracted his economic threat, his tone appeared more conciliatory than before, writing on Truth Social Sunday, “The United States wants to help China, not harm it!!!”

China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a lengthy response on Sunday, stating that the United States was “seriously damaging the environment for trade negotiations.”

“China urges the United States to promptly correct its erroneous practices,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Monday. “If the United States insists on going its own way, China will certainly take firm measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”

Both nations have leveraged multiple dimensions of their trade relationship in the ongoing conflict, with measures ranging from U.S. restrictions on China’s ability to import advanced computer chips to China halting purchases of American soybeans, alongside a series of reciprocal port tariffs.

Economic indicators show that retaliatory actions and uncertainty are weighing heavily on bilateral trade. Chinese trade data released Monday revealed that exports to the United States have fallen for six consecutive months, dropping 27% in September compared with the same month last year.