China’s Retaliatory Measures in Response to U.S. Tariffs: An Overview
On 2 April 2025, President Donald Trump announced the imposition of a 34% tariff on Chinese (including Hong Kong) imports to the United States, effective 9 April 2025. In swift response, the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or “China”) (excluding Hong Kong) unveiled a series of countermeasures on 4 April 2025, aimed at safeguarding the PRC’s economic interests and maintaining the balance of international trade. These measures encompass filing complaints to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the introduction of reciprocal tariffs, the expansion of export control and unreliable entity lists, suspension of certain animal produce imports from specified U.S. entities, the imposition of export controls on critical rare earth materials and initiating investigations against certain medical CT ball tubes. Further details of these measures are set out below.