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The former US president’s latest threat to enforce an additional full import duty on items imported from China has been called a “prime illustration” of United States’ contradictory behavior, according to the Beijing administration.

A Commerce Ministry spokesperson further commented that Beijing could enact its own unrevealed “retaliatory steps” if the White House occupant executes his warning, noting that the country was “not afraid” of a looming trade war.

This past Friday, Trump responded at Beijing’s move to reinforce its regulations for exports of rare earth minerals, charging China of “becoming very hostile” and attempting to hold the international market “hostage”.

He also warned to pull out of a scheduled summit with Chinese leader Xi, which was expected to take place during a meeting in South Korea in the coming weeks.

His statements on last Friday unsettled stock exchanges, with the S&P 500 share index dropping over two and a half percent, marking its steepest fall since last spring.

His comments reignited fears of a trade war between the two economic giants.

In May, the both nations had agreed to eliminate significant levies on each other’s products, which had raised the prospect of bilateral trade stopping between the economic powers.

As a result, American import duties on Chinese imports facing an added thirty percent tariff compared with the beginning of 2025, while items from the United States entering the country incur a 10% tariff.

China’s latest remarks – published by the Ministry of Commerce in the form of official answers to media inquiries – mirrored rhetoric from the height of the ongoing trade dispute.

The remarks condemned US export restrictions on chips and semi-conductors while justifying China’s own export controls on rare earth minerals as “standard procedures” to ensure state interests and that of every country.

The official said that for “a long time”, the United States had “overstretched the concept of state security, exploited export control measures and “enforced” biased policies against the Chinese nation.

“Using” import duty warnings is not the right way to deal with the Chinese government,” their representative stated.

“Beijing’s stance” on a tariff war has always been steady: we wish to avoid one, but we are not afraid of one.”

Last week, Beijing announced it was tightening foreign shipment restrictions on rare earth minerals and further resources essential to advanced tech manufacturing.

This move was regarded as a significant step, as the state handles about the vast majority of the planet’s critical minerals, which are used in items such as photovoltaic modules and handheld devices.

New remarks from the US and China are being interpreted by analysts as a strategy of bolstering negotiating stances ahead of forthcoming discussions.

It is unclear whether a meeting between Trump and China’s leader, expected at a conference in Seoul before month’s end, will go ahead.