China on Friday announced it will raise tariffs on US goods to 125% from the current 84%, intensifying its trade standoff with the United States. The move comes just hours after President Xi Jinping urged the European Union to stand with Beijing against “unilateral bullying”—a pointed reference to the aggressive tariff hikes imposed by US President Donald Trump.

This latest round of Chinese tariffs, effective Saturday, follows the US decision earlier this week to hike duties on Chinese imports to a staggering 145%. The Chinese finance ministry dismissed further US moves, saying, “At the current tariff level, there is no possibility of market acceptance for US goods exported to China.”

China condemned the repeated US tariff hikes, calling them a “numbers game” devoid of economic rationale. “If the US continues to play this game, China will ignore it,” a finance ministry spokesperson said. Beijing also blamed Washington for triggering global economic instability, saying, “The US should bear full responsibility for the turbulence in global markets.”

Interestingly, China claimed that Trump’s decision to pause tariffs on all other countries for 90 days came under Chinese pressure. However, the White House framed its increased tariffs on Beijing as a response to a “lack of respect” from the Chinese side.

Earlier, when the US hiked duties on Chinese goods to 104%, China retaliated by raising its tariffs from 34% to 84%. The current escalation marks a dramatic turn in the world’s largest trade conflict.

In a meeting with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Xi warned there are “no winners” in a trade war and urged the EU to partner with China to defend global economic fairness. “Joint resistance to unilateral bullying is essential,” Xi stressed.

China on Friday announced it will raise tariffs on US goods to 125% from the current 84%, intensifying its trade standoff with the United States. The move comes just hours after President Xi Jinping urged the European Union to stand with Beijing against “unilateral bullying”—a pointed reference to the aggressive tariff hikes imposed by US President Donald Trump.

This latest round of Chinese tariffs, effective Saturday, follows the US decision earlier this week to hike duties on Chinese imports to a staggering 145%. The Chinese finance ministry dismissed further US moves, saying, “At the current tariff level, there is no possibility of market acceptance for US goods exported to China.”

China condemned the repeated US tariff hikes, calling them a “numbers game” devoid of economic rationale. “If the US continues to play this game, China will ignore it,” a finance ministry spokesperson said. Beijing also blamed Washington for triggering global economic instability, saying, “The US should bear full responsibility for the turbulence in global markets.”

Interestingly, China claimed that Trump’s decision to pause tariffs on all other countries for 90 days came under Chinese pressure. However, the White House framed its increased tariffs on Beijing as a response to a “lack of respect” from the Chinese side.

Earlier, when the US hiked duties on Chinese goods to 104%, China retaliated by raising its tariffs from 34% to 84%. The current escalation marks a dramatic turn in the world’s largest trade conflict.

In a meeting with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Xi warned there are “no winners” in a trade war and urged the EU to partner with China to defend global economic fairness. “Joint resistance to unilateral bullying is essential,” Xi stressed.