China has hit out at “irrational US actions” after Washington outlined a further round of tariffs on Chinese imports.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration released a wide ranging list of Chinese goods it proposes targeting with a new 10 per cent duty, including food products, tobacco, coal and chemicals, The Guardian reports.

The tariffs are in addition to the previous measures outlined by Washington, and appear to be in retaliation to China’s reciprocal duties implemented last week.

“Rather than address our legitimate concerns, China has begun to retaliate against US products,” Bloomberg reports US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer as saying. “There is no justification for such an action.”

In a statement this morning (Wednesday), China’s Commerce Ministry struck a combative tone, with no sign of yielding to US pressure.

“China is shocked by US behaviour,” the statement said. “In order to safeguard the core interests of the country and the people, China will have to fight back as usual.”

The world’s two largest economies are now clearly engaged in a tit-for-tat trade tariff exchange, with further escalation likely given Washington's total unacceptance of reciprocal measures.

The latest US tariffs come as American car and technology manufacturer Tesla announced plans to open a new 500,000 capacity auto factory in China – a move that will not have pleased a Trump administration which is seeking to curb China’s high-tech industries and bring manufacturing jobs to the US.