CRU
February 7, 2025
CRU: China hits back with retaliatory tariffs on US
Written by CRU Group
China has announced it will impose duties of 15% on imports of coal from the United States, and apply tighter restrictions to exports worldwide of some critical materials.
The tariffs are in response to US President Donald Trump placing 10% levies on Chinese imports into the United States from Feb. 4.
Though not a major US coal importer, the value of shipments of metallurgical coal from the United States increased by almost a third to $1.84 billion (€1.77 billion) in 2024, according to customs data.
China’s measures will take effect on Feb. 10 and will also include 15% tariffs on liquified natural gas (LNG) and 10% on crude oil, farm equipment and some cars from the US.
The tighter export controls apply to molybdenum, tungsten, tellurium, bismuth and indium. Companies must seek approval from authorities to ship them out of China, the commerce ministry said, describing the measures as being necessary for the country’s national security and interests.
This was first published by CRU. To learn about CRU’s global commodities research and analysis services, visit www.crugroup.com.
