China will impose a 34 per cent tariff on imports from the United States from April 10, customs authorities announced on Friday.

The move comes in retaliation for a 34 per cent duty on Chinese goods announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday as part of a sweeping range of tariffs on trading partners across the globe.

Beijing has also blacklisted 11 American companies, making it de facto impossible for the companies concerned to continue trading in China or with Chinese companies.

On top of that, Beijing imposed export controls on several rare earth metals – which are often used to make vital components for digital devices to the U.S. with immediate effect.

Finally, Beijing announced that it would file a complaint against the U.S. with the World Trade Organidation (WTO).

Trump’s announcement on Wednesday took the total U.S. tariffs on imports from China to 54 per cent, as a 20 per cent toll was already in place.

The Commerce Ministry in Beijing said the U.S. tariffs were based on subjective unilateral assessments and violated international trade rules.