China will levy retaliatory tariffs simultaneously with the US on American imports in response to Washington’s latest announced round of tariffs, a spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Tuesday.

"We feel deeply regretful over the decision. China will be forced to take synchronous countermeasures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests as well as the global free trade order," the spokesperson said.

The remarks were made after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced additional tariffs on roughly 200 billion US dollars’ worth of imports from China.

The US tariffs will take effect from September 24, 2018, and be set at a level of 10 percent until the end of the year. From January 1, 2019, the tariffs will rise to 25 percent.

"We hope that the US side recognizes the potentially harmful consequences of such an action and timely rectify the situation with convincing means."

Shortly after MOFCOM, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reiterated China’s stance on the issue, condemning the US’s new tariff move as a "lack of sincerity and goodwill."

"China has repeatedly stressed that dialogue on the basis of equality, integrity and mutual respect is the right way to resolve the issue," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "The US’s current unilateral trade actions are unacceptable."

The fresh tariff threat may also cast shadows on a possible new round of trade talks between China and the US which the two countries were previously working on.

"The US’s action is not conducive to maintaining the global free trade order, it also brings new uncertainties to our bilateral negotiations," Geng told a daily presser on Tuesday.