Washington, DC [US], April 13 (ANI): Key Chinese trade hubs are beginning to show early signs of disruption as the US-China tariff war intensifies, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Major export provinces and shipping ports, including Shanghai and Guangdong, have seen a sharp decline in activity, with cargo traffic to the United States coming to a near halt.
By Thursday, “almost no cargo ships were headed to the US from the previously busy ports of Shanghai and Guangdong, and export factories in key provinces that support China’s export industry had come to a standstill,” RFA cited. Shipping containers that missed the April 9 deadline for US-bound vessels are now stacked high at these ports.
RFA further reported that in Zhejiang and Guangdong—the provinces contributing the most to China’s exports in 2024—factory operations have been brought to a halt. Warehouses are filled with products initially destined for the US market but now left unused amid the trade freeze.
According to Radio Free Asia, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced an increase in “reciprocal tariffs” on China to 125 per cent, stating they would take effect immediately. The White House later clarified that the total tariffs on Chinese imports now amount to 145 per cent, including the previous 20 per cent levy related to Beijing’s role in the fentanyl trade.
In retaliation, China raised its own tariffs on US imports on Friday from 84 per cent to 125 per cent, responding to the latest round of US tariff hikes.
The current standoff has been escalating for over two months. The dispute began on February 4 when Trump first imposed a 10 per cent tariff on China, citing the country’s alleged involvement in trafficking fentanyl, a deadly opioid that has contributed to widespread deaths in the United States, as reported by RFA.
China responded by imposing a 15 per cent tariff on US coal and liquefied natural gas, and a 10 per cent tariff on crude oil, large automobiles, and agricultural machinery. Trump later increased the tariffs on Chinese goods by another 10 per cent, raising the total to 20 per cent, triggering the ongoing tit-for-tat between the two global powers.
China urges US to cancel “wrong practice” of reciprocal tariffs, restore mutual respec
China has called on the United States to correct its mistakes by “completely cancelling” its tariffs, describing them as “wrong practice” and urging Washington to return to a “path of mutual respect” towards Beijing, France 24 reported.
This appeal comes amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations. When US president Donald Trump announced a 90-day delay on tariffs for most countries, including the European Union, China was notably excluded from this reprieve.
This move has further heightened tensions between the world’s two largest economies, as per France 24.
“We urge the US to take a big step to correct its mistakes, completely cancel the wrong practice of ‘reciprocal tariffs’ and return to the right path of mutual respect,” a commerce ministry spokesperson said.
According to France 24, the US and China have been locked in a tit-for-tat tariff war since President Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs, including a staggering 145 per cent duty on Chinese goods. In response, China imposed retaliatory tariffs of 125 per cent on US goods, effective Saturday.
Washington again dialled down the pressure Friday when the US Customs and Border Protection office said smartphones, laptops, memory chips and other products would be excluded from the global levies.
Beijing’s commerce ministry on Sunday called the exemptions a “small step” by Washington and said that China was “evaluating the impact” of the decision.
The new exemptions will benefit US tech companies like Nvidia and Dell, as well as Apple, which makes iPhones and other premium products in China.
US Customs data suggests the exempted items account for more than 20 percent of those Chinese imports, according to senior RAND researcher Gerard DiPippo.
However, semiconductors could still become a target of industry-specific tariffs Trump has suggested placing on imports from all countries.
Trump said Saturday that he would give a “very specific” answer to the question of any future semiconductor levies on Monday. (ANI)
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