The retaliation was swift. On Tuesday, March 4, following Donald Trump's new 10% tariffs on all Chinese products, Beijing responded by targeting United States agricultural exports and defense contractors. Particularly exposed, China, the world's leading exporting power, has been drawn into an escalating trade war driven by the new American president. Though it neither initiated nor desired this escalation, Beijing is forced to respond to show that it will not give in to Washington's tactics or bow to the world's leading power. On Tuesday, Beijing said it was ready to "go all the way" in its response.

The Chinese government has announced additional tariffs of 15% on chicken, wheat, corn and cotton from the US, and 10% on soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. By targeting agriculture, China is attempting to hurt regions that largely voted for Trump, just as it did in 2018 during the first trade war with the Republican president.

China has since reduced its dependence on American agriculture. By 2017, Brazil had become its leading food supplier. The diplomatic proximity between these two countries, which in May 2024 presented a joint roadmap to end the war in Ukraine, has only strengthened their desire for economic partnership. Beijing finds Brasilia a far less risky supplier than Washington. In January, Chinese state-owned food giant Cofco announced that 75% of its soybean imports now come from Brazil.

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