CCTV: It was reported that after China-U.S. Economic and Trade Meeting in Geneva, China will lower the tariffs on U.S. goods from 125 percent to 10 percent for an initial period of 90 days. Meanwhile, the U.S. will cut its tariffs on Chinese goods to 30 percent, 20 percent of which is imposed on the grounds of the fentanyl issue. What is China’s comment?

Lin Jian: China and the U.S. reached multiple positive common understandings at the economic and trade meeting in Geneva. Both sides agreed to slash tariffs on each other’s goods. The U.S. committed to remove 91 percent in tariffs, and suspend 24 percent in “reciprocal tariffs.” China would accordingly remove 91 percent in counter tariffs and suspend 24 percent in counter tariffs. The two countries respectively retain the remaining 10 percent in tariffs.

Right after the U.S. groundlessly levied two rounds of tariffs on Chinese goods under the pretext of the fentanyl issue, China responded with tariffs and non-tariff countermeasures to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. These countermeasures remain in force.

Bloomberg: The former Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said the U.S. has made it clear to Beijing that failure to coordinate on the fentanyl issue must come at a price and that China does have the capacity to stop the flow of precursor chemicals. What is the Ministry’s response?

Lin Jian: I have just stated China’s principled position on the fentanyl tariff issue. China has made it clear more than once that fentanyl is the U.S.’s problem, not China’s. It’s the U.S.’s responsibility to solve the issue. Despite the goodwill China has shown, the U.S. wrongly slapped tariffs on Chinese imports by citing the issue of fentanyl. The move has dealt a heavy blow to China-U.S. dialogue and cooperation on counternarcotics, and gravely hurt China’s interests. If the U.S. truly wants to cooperate with China, it should stop vilifying and shifting the blame on China, and seek dialogue with China based on equality, respect and mutual benefit. China firmly opposes the irresponsible and false accusations made by the U.S. individual you mentioned.

https://english.news.cn/20250514/6766a5d013ea4105893bc6840366c866/c.html

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202505/1334050.shtml

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-05-14/China-Countermeasures-for-U-S-tariff-citing-fentanyl-still-effective-1DmTWnx2unm/p.html

spoiler

my previous title: China is upset about US-China tariff deal, says both sides agreed on 10% tariff, US imposed 30% tariff blaming US Fentanyl crisis on China

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I'm trying to make sense of the articles. I originally watched the press conference livestreamed this morning.

If I am interpreting it correctly, China thought both side had agreed to 10% tariffs at the Geneva talks. The US had originally imposed the 20% Fentanyl tariff on February 1. "Lin made the remarks in an answer to a question about the U.S. imposing 20 percent tariffs on China under the pretext of the fentanyl issue after the Geneva talks." The way that it is worded in the CGTN article and in the tweet seems as if China had not expected the US to continue imposing the Fentanyl tariff after the Geneva talks.

The tweet and the articles say that "countermeasures remain in effect". This statement contradicts what is written in the US-China Joint statement on May 12, which says China will "remove the non-tariff countermeasures taken against the United States since April 2, 2025". It seems as though China has now decided to keep countermeasures in effect because of the 20% Fentanyl tariff. I am not sure what the countermeasures are.