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Trump’s newest threat to enforce an additional complete levy on items imported from China has been labeled a “prime illustration” of American hypocrisy, as stated by the Beijing administration.

A Commerce Ministry spokesperson further commented that China could enact its own unspecified “responsive actions” if the American leader carries out his warning, adding that the country was “unafraid” of a potential trade conflict.

Last Friday, Trump retaliated at Beijing’s move to reinforce its rules for exports of rare earth minerals, charging Beijing of “adopting a confrontational stance” and attempting to hold the world “captive”.

He also warned to withdraw from a planned talks with China’s President Xi, which was arranged for a summit in Seoul later this month.

The former president’s remarks on last Friday rattled stock exchanges, with the benchmark US stock index closing down nearly three percent, marking its largest decline since last spring.

These statements revived fears of a trade war between the United States and China.

In May, the respective governments had consented to drop significant levies on each other’s goods, which had raised the prospect of bilateral trade stopping between the two nations.

As a result, United States levies on products from China subject to an added thirty percent tariff compared with the beginning of 2025, while items from the United States entering China incur a ten percent duty.

China’s latest remarks – issued by the Ministry of Commerce in the form of official answers to journalist’s questions – reflected language from the peak of the ongoing trade dispute.

The remarks condemned US export restrictions on chips and semi-conductors while defending the country’s own restrictions on exports on rare earth minerals as “normal actions” to ensure national security and that of every country.

The official said that for “many years”, the US had “overstretched the concept of national security, exploited export control measures and “implemented” unfair treatments against China.

“Turning to” import duty warnings is not the right way to interact with China,” the official said.

“China’s position on a tariff war has consistently been unchanging: we wish to avoid one, but we are unafraid of one.”

The previous week, China announced it was strengthening export controls on key elements and further resources vital for high-technology production.

The action was viewed as a important measure, as the country processes about 90% of the global rare earth supply, which are employed in goods such as solar panels and handheld devices.

Latest statements from Washington and Beijing are being seen by some as a strategy of bolstering negotiating stances prior to future trade talks.

Is not yet known whether a summit between Donald Trump and President Xi, planned at a high-level meeting in South Korea later this month, will go ahead.