Beijing: China said on Friday it is poised to impose retaliatory tariffs on $US60 billion ($81 billion) worth of US imports, including coffee, honey and industrial chemicals, if Washington goes ahead with its latest trade threat.

China's Finance Ministry accused the Trump administration of damaging the global economy after the US proposed increasing duties on $US200 billion of Chinese goods in the second round of a dispute over technology.

Containers sit stacked at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China. Credit:Bloomberg

"China is forced to take countermeasures," said a ministry statement. It said retaliatory duties of between 5 and 25 per cent will be imposed on 5207 products "if the US side persists in putting its tariff measures into effect."

Washington imposed 25 per cent duties on $US34 billion of Chinese goods on July 6 in response to complaints Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. Beijing retaliated by imposing similar charges on the same amount of US products.