VOA: China prepares for a possible trade war as President Trump threatens to impose tariffs

China is preparing for possible tariffs after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 10 percent tax on Chinese imports starting February 1.

At a regular press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning emphasized China’s commitment to protecting its “national interests.” “We have always believed there are no winners in a trade or tariff war,” she said.

Following President Trump’s statements, key indicators of China’s stock market saw declines. Beijing’s response came after Trump and his team considered imposing 10 percent tariffs on Chinese imports, citing allegations that China has “sent fentanyl to the United States through Mexico and Canada.” “Perhaps February 1, that’s the date we’re looking at,” the U.S. president told reporters on Tuesday at the White House.

Trump’s remarks came a day after it appeared he was holding off on imposing tariffs on imports from China. On Monday, the president also instructed federal agencies to review the U.S. trade deficits and unfair trade practices with other countries.

On Chinese social media, Trump’s tariff threat received mixed reactions. Some internet users said the 10 percent tariff could lead to a series of taxes on Chinese goods, while others criticized Trump for being unpredictable and contradictory in his decisions.

“Why are the United States getting into these problems? In the end, it’s the American people who will pay the price because if China doesn’t export goods, Americans won’t even have Christmas trees,” wrote a Chinese internet user named Fortune Ax Brother on the social media platform Weibo.

Some analysts believe the threat of imposing tariffs as early as February 1 might be a “negotiating tactic” by the U.S. president to pressure China into making concessions.

“Compared to the 25 percent tariffs Trump threatened to impose on Mexico and Canada, the 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports seems like Trump is being restrained with China,” said Dexter Roberts, a fellow at the Atlantic Council.

In Roberts’ view, the threat reflects Trump’s desire to “reach some sort of deal” with Beijing. “If China meets what Trump considers positive concessions for him and the United States, it is likely he will not immediately proceed with these tariffs,” Roberts told Voice of America.

While it remains unclear if the U.S. will implement the tariffs, some Chinese businesses say their export operations have already been affected by the uncertainty.

“Even before Trump’s latest statements, some of our American clients had been ordering large quantities of goods since he won the election in November,” said a Chinese garment industry exporter named Yuan in Shanghai, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns.

In anticipation of Trump taking office, U.S. companies increased imports from China in the final months of 2024. Official Chinese customs data shows that Chinese companies exported goods worth nearly $50 billion to the U.S. in December 2024, marking a 10.7 percent increase compared to the previous year.

To avoid U.S. tariffs, some Chinese companies have relocated production to Southeast Asia or Latin America, such as Vietnam and Mexico, over the years.

“After Trump launched a trade war against China during his first term, some of our American clients asked our company to move production to Vietnam,” said a manager at an electronics manufacturing company named Li, who also requested anonymity due to safety concerns.

Despite these preparations, experts say Chinese businesses will continue to face challenges if Trump pursues another trade war against China during his second term. “Trump already has experience starting a trade war with China, and the administration is considering targeting China’s efforts to evade U.S. tariffs, possibly imposing tariffs on Southeast Asian countries or Mexico,” He Jiangbing, an independent economic expert in China, told Voice of America.

Since China has relied heavily on exports to drive its economic growth in recent years, Roberts believes U.S. tariffs could severely impact China’s economic growth.

“China’s export sector will be hit hard by the tariffs, and this means the entire Chinese economy will take a heavy blow,” he told Voice of America.

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