China is conducting a “full assessment” of the recent tariff ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court and has urged Washington to remove what it called “unilateral tariff measures,” warning that continued confrontation between the two countries would be damaging.
In a statement on Monday, China’s Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China said U.S. unilateral tariffs violate both international trade rules and U.S. domestic law, and are not in the interests of any party.
“Cooperation between China and the United States is beneficial to both sides, but fighting is harmful,” the ministry said.
The remarks came days after the Supreme Court struck down many of the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump as part of his global trade campaign, including measures targeting China.
Within hours of the ruling, Trump announced a fresh 10% duty on imports from all countries starting Tuesday, later raising it to 15% — a move that reportedly surprised some U.S. officials.
The new tariffs are reportedly based on Section 122 of U.S. trade law, which allows duties of up to 15% for 150 days but requires congressional approval for extensions. No U.S. president has previously invoked this provision, raising the possibility of further legal challenges.
China said it would “continue to pay close attention” to developments and would firmly safeguard its national interests.
Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told state-run Global Times that Washington’s tariff decisions were “highly arbitrary” and being used as a “political weapon.”
“Tariff policy should be based on rigorous assessment, not political preference,” he was quoted as saying.
Trade tensions are expected to dominate discussions ahead of Trump’s planned visit to China in late March and early April, when he is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping.
The Supreme Court’s ruling invalidated several tariffs imposed on key Asian exporters including China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan — major players in global technology supply chains.
South Korea said it would continue consultations with Washington to maintain a “balance of interests,” amid concerns across industries such as automobiles, batteries, and semiconductors.
India, meanwhile, reportedly postponed plans to send a trade delegation to Washington to finalise an interim trade agreement, citing fresh tariff uncertainty. Under previous discussions, U.S. tariffs on Indian goods were expected to fall to 18%, while India had agreed to purchase $500 billion worth of U.S. goods over five years.
In Europe, Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, warned that businesses require predictability rather than prolonged legal disputes.
“To sort of shake it up again is going to bring about disruptions,” Lagarde said in a televised interview, stressing that any new tariff framework must be clearly defined and legally sound.
With global markets already rattled by shifting trade policies, uncertainty continues to loom as governments and businesses await clearer signals from Washington and Beijing.