Beijing: A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that the United States’ move to impose a 245 percent tariff on some Chinese products “no longer makes economic sense”. The comment was reported by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

The spokesperson added that if the US continued to play what they called a “tariff numbers game”, China would not pay any attention to it.

Tariffs follow Boeing jet delivery ban

The statement comes after the White House announced that Chinese imports could face tariffs as high as 245 percent, following China's decision to stop its airlines from accepting more Boeing aircraft. That move came in response to an earlier US decision to impose 145 percent tariffs on Chinese goods.

According to a White House factsheet, the US President remains open to a trade deal with China but says Beijing must take the first step.

“China retaliated,” says White House

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

The White House also accused China of banning exports to the US of key high-tech materials such as gallium, germanium, and antimony, which have potential military uses.

Experts warn of wider fallout

A recent report from S&P Global Ratings said that trade disputes bring no winners, warning of economic and geopolitical risks if tensions between China and the US continue to rise.

The Asia-Pacific region, which relies heavily on exports to both China and the US for growth, could face pressure to take sides or balance its interests carefully. The report noted that while the region depends on the US for security, it relies on China for trade and manufacturing.

Shift towards regional trade deals

To reduce the impact of tariffs, many Asia-Pacific countries are now exploring regional trade blocs and bilateral agreements. These steps may speed up efforts to relocate supply chains and production facilities away from the US-China divide.

IANS