The Hong Kong Post Office has told us that we will not accept products bound by the US in response to “bullying.”
President Donald Trump believes China must make the first move to resolve trade tensions between their countries, the White House said as his administration focuses on key mineral tariffs.
In a statement made hours before Trump ordered a national security review on Tuesday on rare earth and other mineral imports, White House spokesman Caroline Leavitt cited the US president saying “the ball is in Chinese courts.”
“China needs to trade with us. We don’t need to trade with them,” Levitt told the media briefing in a statement that she said she came directly from Trump.
“There’s no difference between China and other countries except that it’s much bigger. And China wants what we have – everything we have – American consumers. Or, put it another way, they need our money,” Levitt said.
In an executive order, Trump directed U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to launch a national security investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
“U.S. manufacturing and defense industrial bases rely on foreign sources of critical mineral products processed,” Trump said in order.
“Many of these foreign sources run the risk of serious, sustained, long-term supply chain shocks. If the US loses access to critical minerals processed from foreign sources, the underlying US commercial and defense products may not be able to meet substantial shortages and demand.”
Trump’s orders did not specifically mention China, but the country is the largest producer of 30 of 50 minerals considered important in the US Geological Survey.
Trump accused China of refusing to sign US aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Tuesday. Following a report from Bloomberg, Beijing has instructed Chinese airlines to stop delivering Boeing planes.
Boeing stocks fell 2.36% after reporting. This quoted “people who are well-versed in the matter.” Boeing and Chinese authorities have not confirmed or commented on the report.
“They said they ‘don’t own’ them to destroy a massive Boeing contract and commit to a full aircraft,” Trump said in the Society of Truth.
The US and China have been trapped in an escalating trade war since Trump returned to the White House.
Despite suspending most of his “mutual” tariffs to dozens of trading partners, Trump has increased the import tax on most Chinese products to 145%.
China reached US exports with a 125% tariff.
In the latest salvo from China on Wednesday, Hong Kong’s post office said it would stop carrying US mail in response to customs duties.
“The United States is irrational and abuses tariffs imposed by bullying. Hong Kong Post will not collect so-called tariffs on behalf of the United States and will suspend acceptance of mail items, including US-benefited goods,” the post office said in a statement.
It added that it will be effective immediately from April 27th, stopping taking ground mail and accepting airmails.
China says it opposes protectionism, but willing to “fight to the end” if the US continues to escalate its trade salvo.
In the OP-ED published in Vietnam’s Nhan Dan newspaper on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the trade war “will not win” and protectionism “does not provide a solution.”
“We need to firmly protect our multilateral trading system, maintain the stability of global production and supply chains, and maintain an open and cooperative international environment,” XI said in OP-ED, issued in line with the Chinese leaders launching a five-day tour of Southeast Asia.
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