China unveiled plans Tuesday to slap additional tariffs of up to 15% on major U.S. agricultural imports like chicken, pork, soybeans, and beef, while also rolling out tougher trade limits on select American companies, in a tit-for-tat response to new U.S. tariffs.
The Commerce Ministry’s new duties, set to begin March 10, spare goods already en route until April 12. They come on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to hike tariffs on Chinese goods by 20%, effective Tuesday, alongside 25% levies on Canadian and Mexican imports.
U.S.-grown chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton will face a 15% surcharge, while sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and dairy will see a 10% bump, according to the ministry. The move also targets niche exports like chicken feet and wings, covering roughly two dozen items at 15% and 711 others at 10%.
On the same day, Beijing added 10 U.S. firms to its “unreliable entity list,” banning them from China-related trade and new investments. The list includes TCOM, Limited Partnership; Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC; Teledyne Brown Engineering; Huntington Ingalls Industries; S3 AeroDefense; Cubic Corporation; TextOre; ACT1 Federal; Exovera; and Planate Management Group. Many likely already face curbs due to dual-use technology concerns.
Separately, 15 U.S. companies, including defense giants like General Dynamics Land Systems and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, were placed on China’s export control list, blocking them from receiving dual-use items. “These entities threaten China’s security and interests,” the ministry stated.
Though broad, China’s farm tariffs stopped short of a full-scale escalation, signaling some restraint, said Sun Chenghao, an international relations expert at Tsinghua University. “Both sides are holding back a bit. The U.S. still wants a trade deal eventually, but the mood right now is tense,” Sun noted.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian framed the U.S. tariffs as a betrayal. “The U.S. has turned gratitude into hostility. But China fears no evil, bows to no pressure, and believes in no ghosts,” Lin declared.
China remains a key buyer of U.S. farm products, importing $24.7 billion in 2024—14% of America’s $176 billion in total agricultural exports. Mexico and Canada lead as top markets. Trade peaked in 2022 and 2023 at $36.4 billion and $33.8 billion, respectively, with record sales of soybeans, corn, beef, and chicken, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, despite a dip during Trump’s first-term trade war.
Beijing has increasingly turned to Brazil and Argentina for soybeans and other imports, diversifying its supply chains. “China won’t buckle under unfair trade pressure from the U.S. or anyone else,” said Xu Botao, research director at EqualOcean’s GoGlobal Institute in Shanghai. “The government and businesses here are ready to push back.”