China has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against US President Donald Trump’s 10 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, marking an escalation in the ongoing trade war between the two economic superpowers.
The tariffs, which Beijing described as a “serious violation” of international trade rules, came into effect on Tuesday. In response, China imposed levies of 15 percent on coal and liquefied natural gas and 10 percent on oil and agricultural products.
On Wednesday, February 5, the WTO confirmed that China had submitted a request for consultations with the US over the tariffs. In its complaint, Beijing accused Washington of making "unfounded and false allegations" about China’s role in the flow of fentanyl opioids to the US and argued that the measures were "discriminatory and protectionist," violating global trade rules.
The filing marks the start of a formal dispute process that could lead to a WTO ruling against the US tariffs, similar to a 2020 decision that deemed Trump’s first-term tariffs on China violated trade regulations. However, a resolution may prove elusive, as the WTO’s Appellate Body remains inoperative due to the US blocking the appointment of judges, effectively stalling final decisions.
The tariff measures have also caused disruptions for e-commerce firms, as confusion mounts over changes to the “de minimis” exemption, which allowed package imports under $800 to bypass duties and customs paperwork. The closure of this exemption has affected major players like Shein, Temu, and Amazon.
The US Postal Service announced on Wednesday, February 5, that it would resume accepting parcels from China and Hong Kong after a temporary suspension threatened to derail millions of package imports daily. Customs and Border Protection officials, however, warned that all small packages from these regions would require customs entries prior to arrival, raising the risk of some shipments being returned without proper documentation.
The situation has left shippers and retailers scrambling. “We’re all running around like headless chickens at this moment in time, trying to second-guess what’s going to happen,” said Martin Palmer, co-founder of Hurricane Commerce, a cross-border e-commerce data provider. “And in two weeks’ time we may be back to normal.”
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Trump’s tariff strategy in his first public comments since taking office. He emphasized that the measures aim to restore manufacturing in the US, including industries that have largely relocated abroad.
