Spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that fares “should not be a tool for coercion, intimidation or interference.”
The 50% surcharge announced by US President Donald Trump to products imported from Brazil was also criticized by China on Friday (11/07).
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, was asked about the subject and replied that fares “should not be a tool for coercion, intimidation or interference.”
“Equality of sovereignty and non-intervention in domestic affairs are important principles of the UN letter and basic norms in international relations,” she said.
It was China’s first official demonstration about American surcharge against Brazilian products.
Also on Friday, Chinese chancellor Wang Yi said, not to mention Brazil, that “US fares undermines the Order of International Trade.”
Political justification
Trump announced the 50% surcharge on Brazilian products on Wednesday, in a public letter sent to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The decision detached Trump’s similar decisions about tariffs against other countries by explicitly using a political argument to justify the measure.
The US President criticized the lawsuit against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who responds to the Supreme Court for attempted coup to reverse the electoral defeat of 2022, and conditioned the removal of the surcharge to the annulment of the trial.
Trump called Bolsonaro’s trial and the Supreme Court’s decisions about social networks of “Brazil’s insidious attacks on free elections and the fundamental rights of freedom of expression of Americans.” “This judgment should not be happening,” wrote Trump. “It’s a witch hunt that should end immediately! [sic]”
The US president also said that surcharge would be necessary to counteract an alleged United States deficit in his business relationship with Brazil – an allegation that is not sustained, as Americans have a consistent surplus in their business relations with Brazilians.
Currently, Brazil already pays 10% rates on products it exports to the US. The new surcharge comes into force on August 1.
Before announcing surcharge to Brazil, Trump had also threatened to charge a 10% surcharge to Brics countries to “align with anti -American policies.”
China negotiated tariffs after retaliation
The 50% surcharge announced by Trump causes, in practice, Brazilian products to be charged to a percentage close to that applied to China products, which was Trump’s preferred target when he launched his trade war after starting his second term in the White House.
In April, the US president even imposed 145% rates on Chinese products, which led Beijing to retaliate and apply a 125% tariff on American products.
The two countries negotiated in May a temporary truce, which made the United States reduce its 30%Chinese products, while China decreased the rate on US products to 10%.
In June, the truce was extended at a new meeting between the two countries, held in London. In practice, Chinese products are now charged by 55% by the United States – already considering a 25% tariff that it imposed on some Chinese products during its first term.
Originally published by DW on 07/11/2025
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/07/12/china-critica-sobretaxa-de-trump-a-produtos-do-brasil/
