UPDATE - China, US trade war escalates with no indication of immediate relief

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By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Wednesday raised additional tariffs on all US imports to 84%, further escalating the trade war with Washington with no immediate relief in sight, after US President Donald Trump launched a flurry of tariffs on allies, as well as rivals.

Beijing raised the additional tariffs on US imports by 50% to 84% from 34%, effective from Thursday.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Beijing's move "unfortunate."

Last week, Beijing, in a tit-for-tat reaction, imposed 34% additional tariffs after the US had imposed 34% reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports.

China's response angered Trump who raised reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports to 104%, including the 20% tariffs which were already in place.

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman said Beijing has filed a fresh lawsuit against Washington over the latest tariff increase measures to the World Trade Organization, reported state-run Global Times.

"The US tariff measures seriously violated WTO rules, and the 50% tariff increase is a mistake on top of a mistake, highlighting the unilateral bullying nature of the US measures," the spokesperson said, adding that Beijing will "defend its legitimate rights and interests in accordance with WTO rules," according to the media outlet.

Separately, Beijing also added six US firms to the "unreliable entity list," and 12 other US entities to the export control list on Wednesday.

The six US firms include Shield AI, Inc., Sierra Nevada Corporation, Cyberlux Corporation, Edge Autonomy Operations LLC, Group W, and Hudson Technologies Co.

Trump has refused to back down from his tariff policies which have roiled global markets.

Commerce Ministry spokesperson also responded to US' postponing of the TikTok media platform's timeline for a sale for another 75 days, saying that China "opposes practices that disregard the laws of the market economy, involve extortion, and undermine the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises."

"Specific commercial arrangements must comply with Chinese laws, including the export of technology, which must be approved by the Chinese government in accordance with the law," said the spokesperson.