New US tariffs trigger trade uncertainty

BEIJING, 29 JULY 2026 —

Headline: New US tariffs trigger trade uncertainty Lead: The latest tariff measures imposed by the United States will add uncertainty to global trade, disrupt international supply chains, and drive up costs for businesses while pushing up prices for ... Body: The latest tariff measures imposed by the United States will add uncertainty to global trade, disrupt international supply chains, and drive up costs for businesses while pushing up prices for consumers, economists said.

The administration of US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that, with effect from Friday, it will impose fresh tariffs, ranging from 10 percent to 12.5 percent, on goods imported from more than 60 trading partners, including China.

The new tariffs will replace the temporary 10 percent tariff imposed in February under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which expires overnight.

Addressing a news conference in Beijing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian noted that China opposes all forms of unilateral tariff measures. "China's position on China-US economic and trade issues is consistent and clear. Tariff and trade wars serve the interests of neither side," he said.

John Quelch, executive vice-chancellor and distinguished professor of social science at Duke Kunshan University in Jiangsu province, called the latest US move unfortunate.

It follows a familiar pattern of imposing tariffs that adds to trade costs and further disrupts supply chains, he said, adding that each affected country will now need to lobby for sector exemptions, and there will be a price to pay for securing the same.

"Businesses flourish in a climate of stable and predictable trading rules," Quelch said, emphasizing that as trade policy becomes more fragmented and uncertain, companies are more likely to defer investment, diversify supply chains at higher costs and pass that additional price burden onto consumers.

The net effect is slower economic growth and reduced competitiveness, he added.

Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that constructive trade ties among the world's major economies remain essential to global prosperity.

While governments will continue to pursue legitimate national priorities, sustained dialogue and rules-based cooperation offer a more effective way to address shared challenges, Zhou said. A stable international trading system benefits not only exporters and investors, but also consumers and workers around the world, he added.

According to a Politico report, China is likely to face additional tariffs of 12.5 percent on some products along with 43 other countries, including Japan, South Korea and Australia. Many businesses in the US warned in their public comments that additional tariffs would disrupt supply chains and ultimately hurt the interests of US consumers.

Tom Fullerton, an economist and professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, told China Daily that lower-income US consumers will face the maximum brunt of the new tariffs. "That is because they purchase more merchandise goods than services, and many of those goods are produced in China or contain components that are produced in China," he said.

Fullerton added that US manufacturers will have to pay higher prices for imported components and US retailers will have to pay higher wholesale prices for imported consumer goods.

Meanwhile, on Friday, China added 14 European Union entities, including defense-related companies Lafert SpA and Rheinmetall AG, to its export control list as a countermeasure to the group's newly unveiled 21st round of sanctions against Russia that imposes restrictions on 14 businesses based on the Chinese mainland and in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that exporters are prohibited from shipping dual-use items to the listed entities, adding that overseas organizations and individuals are also banned from transferring or supplying dual-use items originating in China to these entities. Source: RSS Published: 2026-07-24T17:19:00.000Z Region: World Topic: Economy (AI-assisted rewrite, based on the original source)

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