China is threatening to "take all necessary countermeasures" in response to an additional 10% tariff the U.S. plans to levy against their products starting in April, CNBC reported.
A Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said in a statement, which CNBC translated, "If the U.S. insists on its own way, China will take all necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.
"We urge the U.S. side to not repeat its own mistakes, and to return as soon as possible to the right track of properly resolving conflicts through dialogue on equal footing."
Trump posted on Truth Social Thursday: "Drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels. A large percentage of these Drugs, much of them in the form of Fentanyl, are made in, and supplied by, China.
"More than 100,000 people died last year due to the distribution of these dangerous and highly addictive POISONS. Millions of people have died over the last two decades. The families of the victims are devastated and, in many instances, virtually destroyed.
"We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled. China will likewise be charged an additional 10% Tariff on that date," he continued.
"The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect. Thank you for your attention to this matter. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said, "The U.S. once again uses the fentanyl issue as a pretext to threaten China with additional tariffs on its exports to the U.S. China deplores and opposes this move, and will take what is necessary to firmly defend its legitimate interests.
"China makes it clear more than once that trade and tariff wars have no winners. The unilateral tariff hikes by the U.S. severely violate the WTO [World Trade Organization] rules, and harm the interests of both countries and the world.
"China is one of the world’s strictest countries on counternarcotics both in terms of policy and its implementation. The fentanyl issue is the U.S.'s own problem," he said, adding that the U.S. is "blame shifting."
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency website, "[t]he CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] estimates that over 110,000 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses in 2022, almost 70% of these deaths were caused by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids."
The trade in crude oil, liquefied natural gas and coal between the United States and China is effectively dead after Beijing responded to tariffs imposed earlier this month with measures of its own.
China, the world's biggest importer of the three energy commodities, on Feb. 4 slapped import duties of 15% on U.S. LNG and coal and 10% on crude oil and farm equipment.
Beijing's move came after the Trump administration imposed an additional 10% tariff on all imports of Chinese goods into the United States.
Canada and Mexico on Friday sought to show the Trump administration evidence of progress in curbing the flow of fentanyl opioids into the U.S. ahead of a March 4 deadline for punishing 25% tariffs on their goods imports. Canadian and Mexican officials were expected to meet separately with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and other senior Trump administration officials to try to forestall the tariffs.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.