BEIJING, 4 APRIL

China on Friday slapped a 34 per cent additional tariff on imports from the US in a tit-for-tat response to President Donald Trump’s move to impose a similar levy on Chinese goods.

Beijing also announced export controls on certain rare earth metals, aiming to hit American defence, computer, and smartphone industries.

The tariffs on all products imported from the US will be imposed from 10 April, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced Friday.

The announcement follows the US decision to impose "reciprocal tariffs" on Chinese exports to America, a move that the commission said does not conform to international trade rules. It also seriously undermines China's legitimate rights and interests, and represents a typical act of unilateral bullying, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Criticising Beijing's move, Trump in a social media post said, “China played it wrong, they panicked -- the one things they cannot afford to do."

“My policies will never change. This is a great time to get rich,” he said.

Beijing filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organisation after the US slapped "reciprocal tariffs" on trading partners, the Xinhua report said.

"By imposing the so-called 'reciprocal tariffs,' the US gravely violated WTO rules, seriously undermined the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, and seriously damaged the rules-based multilateral trading system and the international economic and trade order," a spokesperson from the Commerce Ministry said.

"It is a typical unilateral practice of bullying that jeopardises the stability of the global economic and trade order, and China is firmly opposed to this," the spokesperson said, urging the US to immediately correct its wrongdoings and cancel its unilateral tariff measures.

Trump announced 34 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports on Wednesday, unveiling them as part of a sweeping “Liberation Day” package aimed at reshaping American trade policy.