Eastern Time, February 24th – The U.S. government announced a 10% temporary tariff on six categories of goods, a move that marks another shift in its trade policy and has triggered widespread concerns about global supply chain disruptions. Beijing time, February 25th, China’s Ministry of Commerce responded quickly, stating that it will assess the relevant impact and reserve the right to countermeasures, while expressing its willingness to conduct candid communication during the sixth round of China-U.S. economic and trade consultations.

It is reported that the U.S. side has stopped imposing the original tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and instead implemented new import surcharges in accordance with Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Although the official has not yet released the complete list of goods, the market generally expects it to involve electronic components, some industrial machinery and consumer goods, which will have a direct impact on the relevant industrial chains.

Global markets reacted differently to this. U.S. stocks came under pressure before the opening, but later rebounded in technology stocks offset some of the negative impact. The U.S. dollar exchange rate against major currencies remained stable, reflecting that the market’s judgment on the resilience of the U.S. economy has not changed. However, the stock prices of export-oriented enterprises in Asia and Europe generally fell, fearing that tariffs will erode profit margins. Industry experts said that the tariff adjustment comes at a time when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is visiting China, the global trade pattern is facing restructuring, and supply chain diversification may become the core strategy of enterprises.