China strongly opposed a US plan under consideration to impose an additional 7.5% tariff on Chinese imports, warning that it could take countermeasures if necessary. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson Huang Ling said the United States was politicizing economic and trade issues and pursuing unilateralism and protectionism. Huang said production capacity should be assessed comprehensively, objectively and fairly, rather than used to justify trade restrictions. The final tariff rate has not been decided. The dispute follows a Section 301 investigation launched by the Office of the US Trade Representative in March into manufacturing practices in China and 15 other economies. Beijing rejects claims of industrial overcapacity, arguing that global production and demand should be assessed internationally and that output exceeding domestic consumption does not automatically indicate overcapacity.