HONG KONG — China retaliated immediately Tuesday as a 10% U.S. tariff on Chinese goods went into effect, announcing a series of measures including its own levies of 10% to 15% on some U.S. products.
Starting Feb. 10, China will impose an additional tariff of 15% on coal and liquefied natural gas and a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement automobiles and pickup trucks, the government said.
The Chinese announcement came minutes after the U.S. tariff took effect at 12:01 a.m. ET. The failure to forestall tit-for-tat tariffs raises the risk of a spiraling trade war between the United States and China, the world’s two biggest economies.
“This unilateral tariff hike by the U.S. side seriously violates World Trade Organization rules, does nothing to solve its own problems, and undermines normal China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation,” the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, China’s Cabinet, said in a statement.
In addition, Beijing announced an investigation into Google for alleged anti-trust violations, and export controls on items related to tungsten and other rare earth elements.
It also said U.S. gene sequencing company Illumina and PVH Corp., the owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, would be added to the “unreliable entity list,” restricting their ability to operate in China.
President Donald Trump announced the tariff Saturday along with 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, citing border security, as well as the illicit international flow of drugs such as fentanyl. Though the Canadian and Mexican tariffs have been paused for 30 days after talks with those countries’ leaders, no such deal appears to have been struck with China.
Mainland Chinese markets remain closed for the Lunar New Year holiday. Other Asia-Pacific markets were up earlier Tuesday on news that the Canadian and Mexican tariffs had been put on hold, CNBC reported.