China throws fit over Mexico playing ball with Trump on trade

China is lashing out at Mexico for considering tariffs on Chinese goods that would align more closely with President Donald Trump’s trade agenda, Bloomberg reported Friday.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Mexico should “think twice” before imposing a planned 50% tariff on cars and other products made by China, according to a Bloomberg translation of a ministry announcement on Thursday. The Chinese government also seemed to imply that Mexico was merely caving to Trump’s wishes and not exerting an independent trade policy.

“Any unilateral tariff increase by Mexico, even within the framework of [World Trade Organization] rules, would be seen as appeasement and compromise toward unilateral bullying,” the statement read, according to Bloomberg. “We urge the Mexican side to exercise extreme caution and consider carefully before taking any actions.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum insisted the move was to protect domestic industry and did not seek to stir tensions between China and Mexico, according to Bloomberg. Trump has heavily employed tariffs in order to protect U.S. industries, with China being one of Washington’s main targets.

President Donald Trump has pressured Mexico to sever its relationship with China, accusing Mexico of acting as a “back door” for Chinese goods such as fentanyl precursor chemicals. Mexico and China currently enjoy a solid trade relationship, with cars being China’s top export to the Latin American nation.

Additionally, China imports mainly copper ore from Mexico, which is essential for various electronic components, simple and advanced. Beijing runs a substantial trade surplus with Mexico, exporting $71 billion more than it imported from the nation, according to China’s customs data obtained by Bloomberg.

The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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