China Slams US Over “Double Standards” After Trump’s 100 Per Cent Tariff Move

China on Sunday (12 October) accused the United States of “double standards” after President Donald Trump unveiled a new 100 percent tariff targeting Chinese goods, news agency AFP reported.

"The relevant US statement is a typical example of 'double standards'," an unnamed Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said in a statement released online.

On Friday, President Trump announced that the additional tariffs—set to begin on 1 November—were a response to China’s “extraordinarily aggressive” new export restrictions on rare-earth minerals.

The tariff would be levied "over and above any tariff they are currently paying", Trump wrote on Truth Social, with the effective date potentially arriving even sooner depending on further Chinese actions.

China expanded its rare-earth export restrictions on Thursday, adding five additional elements to the seven already under control since April.

The new measures, outlined in "announcement number 61 of 2025", bring the total number of restricted rare-earth metals to 12 out of 17 types. Foreign companies must now obtain special licences from Beijing to export products containing even trace amounts—as little as 0. 1 per cent—of Chinese-sourced rare earths. China processes approximately 90 per cent of the world's rare earths and accounts for about 70 per cent of global supply, giving it substantial leverage in trade negotiations.

Trump further warned that he might cancel his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.

On Sunday, Beijing alleged that Washington had intensified economic pressure on China since September.

"These actions... have severely harmed China's interests and seriously undermined the atmosphere of the economic and trade talks between the two sides," the Chinese Commerce Ministry said.

The ministry added that “threatening high tariffs at every turn is not the right approach to engaging with China."

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Also Read: Trump Announces Additional 100% Tariff on China Over Rare-Earth Export Restrictions Starting November