China's commerce ministry on Monday blasted a new set of U.S. tariffs that the Trump administration says are designed to combat forced labor, warning that Beijing reserves the right to take further action.
The remarks were in response to the U.S. Trade Representative's new duties unveiled July 23 targeting 60 economies, under which the U.S. will impose an additional 12.5% tariff on Chinese goods.
In a statement, China's commerce ministry rejected allegations of forced labor, saying that China has comprehensive labor laws to combat abuses, and accused the U.S. of politicizing the issue. While acknowledging a U.S. commitment made during trade negotiations to cap replacement tariffs at 20%, the commerce ministry warned that Beijing's existing counter-tariffs, implemented in response to earlier U.S. actions, remain fully in effect.
"We will continue to closely monitor and comprehensively evaluate the U.S.'s follow-up actions, and we reserve the right to take all necessary measures," the ministry said.
However, Beijing also signaled willingness to keep the door to dialogue open, urging Washington to lift unilateral tariffs and work on a basis of mutual respect to settle trade frictions.
