China says to impose 15% tariff on imports of coal, LNG from US

BEIJING: China said Tuesday it would impose tariffs of 15 percent on imports of coal and liquefied natural gas from the United States, after Washington slapped ten percent levies on Chinese goods.

“A 15 percent tariff will be imposed on coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG),” Beijing’s commerce ministry said, adding the tariffs come into force next Monday.

US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on imports from China. Unveiling sweeping measures against major trade partners on Saturday, Trump announced an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports on top of existing duties.

In a statement on Sunday, China’s commerce ministry slammed Washington’s “erroneous practices”, saying Beijing was “strongly dissatisfied with this and firmly opposes it”.

The ministry said Beijing would file a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization, arguing that “the unilateral imposition of tariffs by the United States seriously violates WTO rules”.

It added that the duties were “not only unhelpful in solving the US’s own problems, but also undermine normal economic and trade cooperation”.

“China hopes that the United States will objectively and rationally view and deal with its own issues like fentanyl, rather than threatening other countries with tariffs at every turn,” the ministry said.

It said Beijing “urges the US to correct its erroneous practices, meet China halfway, face up to its problems, have frank dialogues, strengthen cooperation and manage differences on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect”.