US President Donald Trump is considering imposing new tariffs on Chinese imports in retaliation for Beijing’s continued purchases of Russian oil, Vice-President J.D. Vance said on Sunday.
Speaking to Fox News, Vance drew a parallel with last week’s move against India, when Trump announced a punitive 25 percent duty on Indian goods over New Delhi’s ongoing Russian oil imports despite repeated US warnings.
“The president said he’s thinking about it, but he hasn’t made any firm decisions,” Vance said. “The China issue is more complicated because our relationship with China affects many other matters beyond the Russian situation. The president is reviewing his options.”
Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to end the war in Ukraine “on day one” of his presidency, has sought to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, with limited results more than six months into his term.
Responding to Vance’s remarks, the Chinese embassy in Washington insisted that Beijing’s trade with Russia was “reasonable and lawful” under international law. It reiterated China’s opposition to “illegal and unjustifiable unilateral sanctions” and warned that “tariff wars have no winners”.
The executive order Trump used to impose duties on Indian goods — citing emergency presidential powers — gives Washington broad authority to monitor any country importing Russian oil and to recommend similar tariffs. It does not explicitly name China.
High-level economic talks between US and Chinese officials in Stockholm nearly two weeks ago resulted in an agreement, according to Beijing, to extend a pause on new tariff hikes due to expire on August 12. Washington has yet to confirm this.
Trump is due to meet Putin later this week in an attempt to reach an agreement to halt the war in Ukraine. It remains unclear whether he will use further tariffs to restrict Moscow’s oil revenues, which help fund the conflict.
Vance defended tariffs as a “negotiating tool”, saying that the threat of restricted access to US markets has prompted other economies, including the European Union and several Asian nations, to open their markets to American goods.
China, the largest buyer of Russian oil, imported a record 108.5 million tonnes in 2024 — almost 20 percent of its total oil imports — providing a significant economic lifeline to Moscow.