China has called on the United States to revoke the unilateral tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump following a ruling by the US Supreme Court that invalidated many of his tariff actions. The court’s six to three decision on Friday determined that Trump lacked the authority to implement tariffs using a 1977 law that he had utilized to impose sudden levies on specific countries, disrupting global trade.
In response to the ruling, Trump reacted angrily by first announcing a new 10 percent global tariff on imports under a different legal basis, which was later increased to 15 percent on Saturday. China’s commerce ministry stated that it is currently assessing the impact of the ruling and urged Washington to remove the tariffs.
“The United States is urged by China to revoke its unilateral tariff measures on its trade partners,” the ministry stated. “Engaging in a trade war benefits no one, and protectionism leads to nowhere.”
The newly introduced 15 percent global tariffs are set to take effect tomorrow and are anticipated to be in place for 150 days with certain products being exempted. The Chinese foreign ministry also mentioned that it is closely monitoring potential actions by the United States to uphold the increased tariffs.
“Current plans by the United States include trade investigations to uphold increased tariffs on trade partners. China will vigilantly protect its interests,” the ministry remarked.
China’s cautionary statement comes ahead of Trump’s upcoming visit to China, marking his first trip to the country during his second term. Despite the ruling, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer clarified that the scheduled meeting between Trump and Xi in April is not intended for trade disputes.
The Supreme Court’s decision was a significant blow to Trump, coming from a judicial body that had largely supported him during his presidency. It represented a substantial setback in dismantling his primary economic policy that has disrupted the global trade landscape.
Various countries have indicated that they are examining the Supreme Court ruling and the subsequent tariff updates by Trump. Greer assured US media that existing trade agreements with China, the European Union, and other partners will remain intact despite the court’s decision.
In December, US trade officials had threatened to impose tariffs on the semiconductor industry after deeming Beijing’s practices as “unreasonable,” though the implementation has been postponed until June 2027. Beijing strongly opposed the move at the time, accusing Washington of unfairly targeting Chinese industries with tariffs.