Michael Huber 
Hong Kong
CNN
—
Beijing announced tariffs on Tuesday on certain American imports including fuels and slapped export controls on several raw materials in retaliation for the Trump administration’s imposition of 10% tariffs on Chinese imports into the United States.
The fresh duties, announced by China’s Ministry of Finance, levy a 15% tax on certain types of coal and liquefied natural gas and a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars and pickup trucks. The measures take effect on February 10.
The Ministry of Commerce also announced a list of new export controls including tungsten-related materials, typically used in industrial and defense applications, as well as materials linked to tellurium, which can be used to make solar cells.
The ministry also said it was adding two American firms — biotech company Illumina and fashion retailer PVH Group, owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger — to its unreliable entities list, saying they “violated normal market trading principles.”
In a separate statement, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said it was initiating an investigation into Google for suspected violation of its anti-monopoly. The company, whose browser is not available in China, has minimal operations in the country.
The raft of announcements comes as a broad-based 10% tariff on Chinese imports to the United States announced by the White House on Saturday came into effect.
Beijing had slammed those tariffs in a statement Sunday and vowed to “resolutely defend its rights” by filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and taking “corresponding countermeasures.”
In a statement Tuesday, China’s commerce ministry confirmed that it had brought the Trump administration’s tariff measures to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.
“The US practice seriously undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system, undermines the foundation of economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States, and disrupts the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain,” the ministry said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
