China has called on the US to remove unilateral tariff measures after the US Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump lacked the authority to impose several of his previous levies
China has urged the United States to cancel unilateral tariffs after the US Supreme Court struck down many of the measures previously imposed by Donald Trump, prompting renewed uncertainty in global trade.
The court ruled six to three on Friday that Trump does not have the authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 law he used to introduce sudden levies on countries. The decision upended a central element of his trade approach.
Trump reacted by
announcing a new 10 per cent global duty under a separate legal authority before raising it to 15 per cent on Saturday.
Beijing calls for tariff removal
The commerce ministry in China said on Monday that it was carrying out a “comprehensive assessment” of the ruling’s impact and called on Washington to lift the measures.
“China urges the United States to cancel its unilateral tariff measures on its trading partners,” the ministry said. “There are no winners in a trade war and that protectionism leads nowhere.”
The new 15 per cent duties are scheduled to take effect on Tuesday and are expected to last 150 days, with some product exemptions.
Foreign ministry warns of further US actions
China’s foreign ministry said it was watching closely for potential US steps to retain elevated tariffs.
“The United States is currently planning alternative measures such as trade investigations in order to maintain increased tariffs on trading partners. China will continue to pay close attention to this and resolutely safeguard China’s interests,” it said.
China’s warning comes weeks before Trump’s planned visit to the country, which will be his first trip there in his second term. The US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, said a meeting scheduled for April between Trump and Xi Jinping was “not to fight about trade”.
Political setback for Trump’s economic agenda
The Supreme Court ruling marked a significant political setback, removing a core instrument of Trump’s economic policy that has disrupted global trade dynamics. Several countries have said they are reviewing the ruling and his subsequent tariff announcements.
Greer said on Sunday that trade deals with China, the European Union and other partners would remain in effect despite the court’s decision.
US trade officials previously warned in December that they could impose tariffs on the semiconductor sector after determining that Beijing’s practices were “unreasonable”. The duties, however, will not take effect until June 2027. Beijing stated at the time that it “firmly” opposed the move and accused Washington of using tariffs to “unreasonably suppress Chinese industries”.
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