Beijing Promises Immediate Response if Trump's Tariffs Hurt China

The reaction from the Chinese establishment follows reports in the US media that President Donald Trump has approved $50 million in tariffs on Chinese goods.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that Beijing will promptly take steps to protect itself if revised US tariffs hurt its interests.

Earlier, China's state council said it would reduce import tariffs on a range of consumer goods such as cosmetics, apparel and home appliances to strengthen its industries; to upgrade and boost competitiveness.

READ MORE: US Plans to Set Tariffs on China Contradict Deal Reached in Washington — Beijing

China US Import Tariffs

On June 1, the United States imposed 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, which had initially been exempt from the extra tax.

China has decided to cut import tariffs on automobiles and auto parts starting on July 1, according to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council. 135 types of tariffs for automobiles will drop to 15 percent, from the previous level of 25 percent, while four types of tariffs of 20 percent will also be lowered to 15 percent. In addition, 79 types of tariffs for auto parts will fall to 6 percent.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier that the United States and China had both put a hold on tariffs and agreed to a framework for a trade deal.

These steps came amid the trade tensions between the countries, which escalated in the last few months, as the US President threatened to slap steep tariffs on Chinese exports to the US for allegedly stealing trade secrets.