China opposes U.S. ‘forced labour’ tariffs, calls for them to cancelled
China's Commerce Ministry has formally opposed new U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, which were imposed over allegations of forced labor practices. Beijing labeled the move as protectionist and urged the U.S. to remove the duties while signaling a willingness to continue trade dialogues.
Why it matters
Escalating trade tensions between the world's two largest economies threaten global market stability and diplomatic relations.
China's Commerce Ministry said on Monday (July 27, 2026) that new U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese goods over alleged forced labour were unjustified and amounted to protectionism, and urged Washington to remove them.
On Friday (July 24, 2026), the United States imposed new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, including the EU and China, alleging those countries failed to curb imports made by forced labour. China was assigned a 12.5% rate.
The new U.S. duties could risk undermining a fragile trade truce reached between the world's two largest economies last year and came as the two sides prepare for a possible visit to the U.S. by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in