Beijing, Jan 13: China has signaled it will take countermeasures following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25 percent tariff on nations doing business with Iran. The move specifically targets Tehran’s major trading partners, threatening the flow of discounted oil to the world’s second-largest economy.
The new trade policy, announced Monday, mandates that any country engaged in commerce with Iran must pay a 25 percent levy on its own trade with the United States. This development puts significant pressure on China, which remains the largest global buyer of Iranian crude.
“There are no winners in a tariff war, and China will firmly safeguard its own legitimate and lawful rights and interests,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a press briefing Tuesday. She noted that Beijing is prepared to respond to protect its economic stability.
The threat comes at a precarious time for Chinese energy security. Analysts noted that Beijing is already dealing with the collapse of the pro-China Maduro regime in Venezuela, which previously provided a steady stream of loan-linked oil. Experts mentioned that policymakers now face an urgent need to find alternative ways to protect strategic interests abroad.
According to data from the intelligence firm Kpler, China purchased an average of 1.38 million barrels of Iranian oil per day last year. This volume represents approximately 80 percent of Iran’s total oil exports. Industry watchers noted that the loss of access to these cheaper imports, combined with the 25 percent US trade penalty, could force a major shift in China’s global trade strategy.
