PARIS, April 9, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Donald Trump's tariffs have sparked a range of responses from affected countries, ranging from bids to negotiate them down right up to China's swift and sweeping retaliatory hike in duties on US imports.

Here is a look at what America's major trading partners are doing:

- Chinese counterattack –

China -- targeted with US tariffs of 104 percent -- pounced back muscularly by raising its own duties on US imports to 84 percent from Thursday, higher than the 34 percent initially announced, after Trump upped his ante.

Beijing has sworn to fight the burgeoning trade war with the world's biggest economy "to the end".

It has also placed export restrictions on critical and rare minerals the United States and other countries need in electronic consumer items and magnetic imaging.

Trump's move has prompted China, South Korea and Japan to agree to bolster cooperation for "a predictable trade and investment environment".

- EU calibration –

The EU did not rush in with retaliation, preferring first to give space to negotiation -- but warning countermeasures will ensue if that fails.

The bloc -- the world's second-biggest economy, according to the World Bank -- will levy tariffs on 20 billion euros' worth of US products, including soybeans, motorcycles and beauty products. But those are just a response to Trump's earlier tariff salvo on steel and aluminium.

For the later, broader Trump tariffs on some 60 countries, which include a 20-percent duty on EU goods, Brussels has said it will unveil its comeback as early as next week.

France and Germany have suggested the European Union could target the services part of transatlantic trade in which the United States has a surplus, perhaps by taxing US tech giants.

- Japan talks –

Japan has not hit back with its own levies. Instead, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke by phone with Trump this week about the US tariffs, with both agreeing to have more talks.

Japan is the biggest foreign holder of US debt, having amassed more than $1 trillion in US Treasury bonds -- which are usually seen as a safe financial asset in times of uncertainty, although right now they are being sold off as investors price in a likely US recession and cover losses on equity markets.

- South Korea aid –

South Korea -- confronted with 25 percent US tariffs -- has unveiled a $2 billion emergency support package for its export-focused carmakers.

- Canada reciprocates –

Canada, the United States' number one trading partner, is matching Trump's levies on cars and auto parts by imposing a 25-percent duty on certain US-made vehicles that fall outside the scope of an existing North American free-trade pact.

While not included in the last big list of Trump's tariffs, Canada was badly hit by the earlier hike in US duties on imported steel and aluminium, and has already matched that with tariffs on $21 billion worth of US goods.

- Malaysia to host Xi –

Malaysia will host a three-day visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping next week as the two countries work out how to navigate the hiked-up duties.

Malaysia is this year's rotating chair of ASEAN regional bloc, and will be hosting a special meeting of ASEAN economic ministers on Thursday to discuss how to respond to Trump's tariffs.