China urges U.S. to 'immediately' cancel reciprocal tariffs, vows counter-measures

China's Ministry of Commerce said Thursday it would take "resolute counter-measures" against the sweeping U.S. tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and urged Washington to "immediately cancel" its unilateral tariff measures.

"The U.S. has drawn the so-called 'reciprocal tariffs' based on subjective and unilateral assessments, which goes against international trade rules and seriously undermine the legitimate rights and interests of relevant parties," a commerce ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

The Chinese official described the Trump administration's decision to impose reciprocal tariffs as a "typical unilateral bullying practice," adding that many countries have expressed "strong dissatisfaction and clear opposition."

The statement comes after Trump imposed steep tariff rates on many countries, including 34% on China, 20% on the European Union, 46% on Vietnam and 32% on Taiwan.

The White House clarified to CNBC's Eamon Javers that the tariff rate on Beijing comes in addition to existing 20% tariffs on imports from China, meaning the true tariff rate on China is 54%.

Other countries joined China in expressing their dissatisfaction with the tariff measures.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa will fight the tariffs "with purpose and with force," as his government prepares for a full set of counter-measures to be unveiled on Thursday.

South Korea's acting President, Han Duck-soo, ordered emergency support measures for industries and businesses that will be impacted, including the automobile industry, ordering officials to actively negotiate with Washington to minimize the impact of additional levies.

Separately, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Trump's tariffs a "poor decision" and said the measures were not an "act of a friend," though he ruled out responding with reciprocal levies against the U.S.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.