On Friday, July 24th, 2026, Beijing condemned new US tariffs imposed on China and 59 other countries, citing concerns over alleged forced labour. The tariffs, ranging from 10 to 12.5 percent, place the highest rate on China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated at a news briefing, "We oppose all forms of unilateral tariff measures," and warned, "Tariff wars and trade wars are not in the interests of any party."

These new tariffs replace an expiring global duty introduced earlier this year by former President Donald Trump. Following a Supreme Court ruling in February that struck down several of Trump's duties, the administration has moved quickly to reinstate tariff measures.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Washington is "rigorously" enforcing a forced labour import ban and emphasized that it is "well past time for our trading partners to do the same."

Countries with forced labour prohibitions, including Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, received the lower 10 percent tariff rate. Other major trade partners such as India and Japan face the higher 12.5 percent tariffs.

After Trump's visit to Beijing earlier this year, China expressed willingness to collaborate with the United States on reducing tariffs. However, the latest levies threaten to reignite trade tensions between the two nations.

Sources