China Hits Back at Trump’s Tariffs, Targets Google and Energy Sector

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

China retaliated against President Donald Trump’s round of tariffs with sweeping levies on US energy exports and an antitrust probe into Google in an escalation towards an all-out trade war between Washington and Beijing.

China’s finance ministry announced Tuesday that starting February 10, liquefied natural gas, coal, crude oil, farm equipment, and some American-made cars will be hit with tariffs ranging between 10 percent and 15 percent. Alongside these measures, China also imposed new export controls on rare metals crucial to American industry.

Beijing framed the response as necessary pushback against Trump’s own tariff hike—a 10 percent levy on Chinese imports that the president hyped as an opening round in what many fear could become an all-out trade war.

China’s most pointed kick back also came in the form of a new antitrust investigation into Google. While the search giant is already banned in China, Alphabet still profits from Chinese businesses advertising abroad. The probe could serve as a leverage point in future negotiations, much like past crackdowns on American tech firms like TikTok owner ByteDance.

The president’s levies on Canada and Mexico come paired with the accusation that both countries are failing to stem the flow of fentanyl into the US. But after last-minute negotiations, those tariffs have been put on hold for at least a month while negotiations play out.

According to the Financial Times, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to speak in the coming days too, during which a similar deal or delay may transpire.