Beijing: “Reciprocal” tariffs by the United States will cause enormous harm to developing countries and could trigger a humanitarian crisis, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao stated during a conversation with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the conversation took place on Friday via videoconference. The parties discussed issues such as responding to “reciprocal” tariffs by the United States, protecting the multilateral trading system, and ensuring the full implementation of the WTO’s role. Following the conversation, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce released a statement on its website on Saturday.

Wang emphasized that the “reciprocal” tariffs imposed by the United States would cause significant harm to developing nations, particularly the least developed countries, and could potentially lead to a humanitarian crisis.