In a move that will probably exacerbate trade relations between China and the US, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that the country will be imposing tariffs of up to 105.4 percent on US broiler chicken imports, beginning February 13 onwards.

The decision by China is the latest volley in the ongoing tit-for-tat low-level trade conflict between the two countries, and will infuriate one of the few US industries that boast profitable exports to China. The trade clash has earlier comprised the US’ anti-dumping actions against Chinese steel pipes, and Chinese warnings to sanction US companies supplying arms to Taiwan.

Elaborating the reason behind the decision to impose the rather high tariffs on US broiler chicken imports, the Commerce Ministry said on its Web site that the US dumps the poultry products at unfair prices onto the China market; thereby resulting in “substantial damage” to the domestic chicken industry.

The Chinese Poultry Association’s president Wang Xiulin elucidated: “Chicken feet and wings are not wanted in the US so they sell them to China, they dump them below cost. For over a decade, the US has sent big volumes of chicken to the Chinese market, hurting producers here.”

Meanwhile, expressing displeasure at the proposed tariffs move by China, Michael Barbalas - president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China – the relentless trade tensions between the two countries is affecting the entire world.