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Trump’s newest threat to enforce an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods has been called a “typical example” of US double standards, as stated by the Beijing administration.

A Commerce Ministry spokesperson also stated that the nation could introduce its own unspecified “countermeasures” if the American leader follows through on his threat, emphasizing that the country was “unafraid” of a looming trade war.

This past Friday, the former president retaliated at Beijing’s move to tighten its policies for foreign shipments of rare earths, alleging the Chinese leadership of “turning aggressive” and attempting to hold the international market “hostage”.

He also vowed to cancel a scheduled summit with Beijing’s head of state Xi, which was set for a summit in the Republic of Korea in the coming weeks.

Trump’s comments on last Friday unsettled stock exchanges, with the benchmark US stock index closing down nearly three percent, marking its steepest fall since earlier this year.

His comments renewed apprehensions of a commercial dispute between the US and China.

In May, the two sides had consented to drop significant levies on each other’s imports, which had created the possibility of bilateral trade stopping between the two nations.

As a result, American import duties on products from China incurring an extra 30% levy compared with the year’s onset, while American products entering the country are subject to a import levy.

China’s latest remarks – issued by the relevant government department in the manner of official answers to media inquiries – echoed language from the height of the recent trade conflict.

Officials denounced US export restrictions on chips and semi-conductors while defending Beijing’s overseas sale regulations on rare earths as “routine measures” to safeguard national security and that of all nations.

The spokesperson stated that for “an extended period”, the US had “expanded the interpretation” of national security, exploited export control measures and “implemented” biased policies against China.

“Resorting to import duty warnings is not the correct approach to interact with Beijing,” their representative stated.

“The nation’s view” on a tariff war has remained unchanging: we wish to avoid one, but we are not afraid of one.”

Recently, China announced it was reinforcing overseas sale regulations on key elements and other materials essential to high-technology production.

This was seen as a key move, as the nation processes about the vast majority of the global rare earth supply, which are used in products such as photovoltaic modules and handheld devices.

Latest statements from the US and China are being interpreted by some as a method of enhancing bargaining power in preparation for forthcoming discussions.

It is unclear whether a summit between Donald Trump and President Xi, planned at a high-level meeting in the Republic of Korea before month’s end, will still proceed.