Trade Tensions Escalate: The Latest in U.S.-China Tariff Spat

China opposes President Trump's additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, accusing the U.S. of shifting blame over drug flows. These tariffs coincide with China's annual meetings to decide economic priorities. China warns of countermeasures, urging the U.S. to return to dialogue for dispute resolution.

China voiced strong opposition on Friday to President Donald Trump's decision to impose a further 10% tariff on Chinese imports, in response to perceived deadly drug inflows into the U.S. Beijing accused the Trump administration of deflecting blame and destabilizing international supply chains.

The decision was announced alongside Trump's plans to apply a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada starting Tuesday, with the new Chinese tariffs overlapping with the initiation of China's annual parliamentary meetings. These sessions are pivotal, as they outline Beijing's economic strategies for 2025.

In response, China's commerce ministry reiterated that unilateral tariffs contravene World Trade Organization regulations and criticized the U.S. for undermining the multilateral trading system. The ministry warned of imminent countermeasures, urging the U.S. to reconsider its approach to dispute resolution through dialogue.

(With inputs from agencies.)