US tariff hikes no longer make economic sense: China

Beijing: A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday that the United States’ 245 per cent tariff on certain products from China no longer makes economic sense.

It the US continues to play the “tariff numbers game”, it will pay no attention to it, according to the spokesperson, Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement came in the wake of White House’s statement that China faces tariffs of up to 245 per cent due to its retaliatory action.

China now faces up to 245 per cent tariffs on imports to the US as a result of its retaliatory tariffs, according to the White House Fact sheet.

This came after Beijing ordered its airlines not to take any further deliveries of Boeing jets in response to the earlier US decision to impose 145 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods.

According to the White House, the US President is open to making a trade deal with China, but Beijing should make the first move.

“More than 75 countries have already reached out to discuss new trade deals. As a result, the individualised higher tariffs are currently paused amid these discussions, except for China, which retaliated,” it said.

The White House also accused Beijing of banning exports to the US of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications.

There are no winners in a trade conflict and the tussle between China and the US raises the risk of economic and geopolitical fallout, a report by S&P Global Ratings said this week.

Home to sizable manufacturing activities, Asia-Pacific is highly dependent on exports to the U.S. and China for growth. At the same time, Asia-Pacific depends on the US mostly for security.

The region could find itself pushed to take sides or walk a delicate line between the two large economies, the report stated.

To counteract tariffs, Asia-Pacific governments are exploring the formation of regional trade blocs or bilateral trade agreements. These efforts could accelerate, expediting the need to relocate supply sources and production.

China’s economic growth is seeing rising downside risk amid rising trade tensions with the US as its export engine falters from weaker global demand. The country’s domestic growth engine remains subdued, given the lingering real estate crisis, which is dragging down confidence.

—IANS