China faces up to 245pc tariff on imports to US as result of retaliatory actions: White House

The White House stated that China now faces up to a 245 percent tariff on imports to the United States due to its “retaliatory actions”, according to a document released on Tuesday (Apr 15).

The latest development of the hefty tariffs targeting China was revealed when US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to investigate the national security risks posed by US reliance on imported processed critical minerals and their derivative products.

The document quoted Trump claiming that “an overreliance on foreign critical minerals” and their derivative products could jeopardize US defense capabilities, infrastructure development, and technological innovation.

It said Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on all countries and individualized reciprocal higher tariffs on nations in which the US has the largest trade deficits “in order to level the playing field and protect America’s national security.”

The White House noted that more than 75 countries have already reached out to discuss new trade deals and as a result the individualized higher tariffs are currently paused amid the discussions. 

However, it pointed out that as China retaliated and thus it will “faces up to a 245 percent tariff on imports to the United States as a result of its retaliatory actions.”

The document also noted that China banned the export of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications to the United States a few months ago, while also suspending exports of six heavy rare earth metals, as well as rare earth magnets, just this week.

White House claimed such action aimed to “choke off supplies of components central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world.”

(Staff reporter)