China Condemns Trump’s 100% Tariff Threat, Defends Rare Earth Export Controls
By Trend Brio News | October 12, 2025 BEIJING — China has lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports, calling the move “hypocritical” and warning Washington to resolve trade tensions through dialogue rather than confrontation. In a statement released on Sunday, China’s Ministry of Commerce defended its recent restrictions on rare earth exports and related technologies, saying the measures were taken in response to a series of “provocative and damaging” U.S. actions since bilateral trade talks in Madrid last month. “China’s stance is consistent. We do not want a tariff war but we are not afraid of one,” the ministry said, adding that Beijing would not back down in the face of “threats and coercion.” Beijing accused Washington of double standards after Trump announced the sweeping new tariffs on Friday, claiming China had weaponized its dominance in rare earth production. The tariffs, which take effect November 1, target a wide range of Chinese goods and include new restrictions on software exports. “These actions have severely harmed China’s interests and undermined the atmosphere for economic and trade talks,” the statement added. Rare earth elements—crucial for smartphones, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and military hardware—have become a central issue in the escalating economic rivalry between the two superpowers. China currently dominates global production and processing of these materials and on Thursday introduced tighter controls on the export of technologies used in mining and refining them. The new restrictions have rattled global markets, with tech stocks sliding amid fears of disruptions to the supply chain for critical minerals. The renewed trade tensions also threaten to derail a possible meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea later this month. The encounter would be their first face-to-face meeting since Trump’s return to office in January. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs downplayed concerns that China’s export controls would disrupt its semiconductor industry, saying the rare earth elements covered by the new rules differ from those used in chip manufacturing. “The expanded ban differs from materials required in Taiwan’s semiconductor processes, so no significant impact is expected,” the ministry said, noting that Taiwan sources most of its rare earth materials from Europe, the U.S., and Japan. Despite China’s restraint in not announcing countermeasures, observers expect Beijing to continue using targeted export restrictions and diplomatic pressure as leverage in the ongoing trade confrontation.
