<picture class="article__media"> <img src="https://img.lemde.fr/2020/01/17/0/0/3505/2590/664/0/75/0/52e243e_mqV_TXGt0nDovO_4W06gs00o.jpg" alt="Images Le Monde.fr" width="100%" height="auto"> </picture> <noscript> <img src="https://img.lemde.fr/2020/01/17/0/0/3505/2590/664/0/75/0/52e243e_mqV_TXGt0nDovO_4W06gs00o.jpg" alt="Shipping containers from China and other Asian countries are unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles on September 14, 2019."> </noscript> <figcaption class="article__legend" aria-hidden="true">Shipping containers from China and other Asian countries are unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles on September 14, 2019. MARK RALSTON / AFP </figcaption>

China's commerce ministry on Tuesday, April 8, vowed to fight US tariffs "to the end", after US President Donald Trump threatened fresh levies of 50% on imports from the world's second-largest economy.

"The US threat to escalate tariffs against China is a mistake on top of a mistake, which once again exposes the US's blackmailing nature," a ministry spokesperson said. "China will never accept this," they insisted.

"If the US insists on going its own way, China will fight it to the end," the spokesperson added. "If the US escalates its tariff measures, China will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests," they said.

Trump upended the world economy last week with sweeping tariffs that have raised fears of an international recession and triggered criticism even from within his own Republican Party.

As the trade war escalates, Beijing − Washington's major economic rival − unveiled its own 34% duties on US goods to come into effect on Thursday.

China's commerce ministry also on Tuesday reiterated that it sought "dialogue" with the United States, and that there were "no winners in a trade war".

Le Monde with AFP

'If the US escalates its tariff measures, China will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests,' Beijing's commerce ministry warned on Tuesday.{ai:summary}China's commerce ministry has pledged to combat U.S. tariffs, with President Trump threatening a 50% levy on imports. They criticized the U.S. stance as blackmail and vowed to take countermeasures to protect their interests. As tensions rise, China plans to impose a 34% duty on U.S. goods while still expressing a desire for dialogue, emphasizing that a trade war benefits no one. #economy