Tariff war: China says exports facing severe external situation but 'sky will not fall'
2025-04-14 13:21:10
China Warns of Export Struggles, Says 'Sky Will Not Fall'
Amid the ongoing tariff tension with the United States, a spokesperson for China's customs department said on Monday that the country is under "severe" pressure in its export sector but the situation is not catastrophic.
"At present, China's exports are facing a complex and severe external situation, but 'the sky will not fall'," the spokesperson said, according to news agency Reuters. He also said that China is "actively building a diversified market, deepening cooperation with all parties in the supply chain," and added, "The important thing is that China's domestic demand market is broad."
The comments come a day after US President Donald Trump said no country would be exempt from tariffs. "No one is getting 'exempt'... especially not China, which treats us the worst by far!" he posted on his Truth social platform.
Trump's administration has been engaged in a trade conflict with China, in which the two countries impose tariffs on each other's goods. US tariffs on Chinese imports have reached 145 percent, while China has responded with a 125 percent tariff band on US products.
On Friday, the US eased some pressure by announcing temporary tariff exemptions for products such as smartphones, laptops and semiconductors, many of which come from China. These exemptions are expected to benefit US tech firms such as Nvidia, Dell and Apple, which make many of their products in China.
However, President Trump and his aides made clear that these exemptions are not permanent. Trump said on Sunday that the move was being misunderstood and that his administration was working on new tariffs that could apply to recently exempted items. He said, "The tariffs will be imposed in the near future."
Earlier, China's Commerce Ministry reacted to the exemption, saying the move was only "a small step" and urged the US to "resolutely cancel" its entire tariff policy.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Monday during a visit to Vietnam at the start of his Southeast Asia tour that protectionist policies "will serve no purpose."
In an article published in a Vietnamese newspaper, Xi called on the two countries to "resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment."
He also reiterated China's stance that "there are no winners from a trade war and tariff war."
