Published on: 2026-07-28
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Beijing, July 28 /Xinhua/ — The Ministry of Commerce of China on Monday called on the United States to correct its erroneous actions and fully revoke the unilateral tariff measures it imposed under the pretext of so-called “forced labor.”
These remarks were made by an official representative of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China in response to media inquiries about the recent imposition by the United States of additional Section 301 tariffs on 60 economies, including China, following an investigation related to “forced labor.”
China consistently opposes forced labor and has established a comprehensive labor legislation system and regulatory framework, said the official representative, emphasizing that the country is firmly committed to preventing and combating the practice of forced labor. At the same time, the United States has still not ratified the 1930 Forced Labour Convention and has long manipulated the issue of “forced labor,” added the official representative.
This time, the United States has again initiated an investigation under Section 301 of the US Trade Act and imposed unilateral tariffs under the pretext of “forced labor.” This is a typical act of unilateralism and protectionism, which China resolutely opposes, the official representative noted.
The American side confirmed its intention to use Section 301 tariffs as a replacement for the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which were deemed invalid, as well as for the Section 122 import duty. During the China-US trade and economic consultations, the United States made a clear commitment to limit the replacement additional duties on Chinese goods to 20 percent.
Currently, the replacement additional duties imposed by the United States on Chinese goods amount to 12.5 percent, while China’s countermeasures in response to the first round of so-called fentanyl tariffs and retaliatory tariffs imposed by the United States remain in effect, an official said.
The United States must correct its erroneous actions and fully revoke the corresponding unilateral tariff measures, an official representative stated.
China will continue to closely monitor and conduct a full assessment of the subsequent steps of the United States and reserves the right to take any necessary countermeasures, said the official representative.
According to an official representative, China is ready to continue dialogue and consultations with the United States based on mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, aiming to resolve issues of interest to each party.
China expressed hope that the American side will work with China in the same direction, said an official representative, calling for joint efforts to maintain and implement the consensus reached during the trade and economic consultations. According to the official representative, both sides should continue to expand cooperation, thereby making an even more significant contribution to building bilateral constructive strategic stability.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.