China has imposed a 25 percent tariff on $16 billion of goods and commodity imports from the United States, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced on Thursday.

China has levied a tariff on over 300 categories of US products, including coal, bicycles, truck and vehicle engines and chemicals, a necessary countermeasure to defend its legitimate interests and multilateral trading system.

The Ministry of Commerce said China will continue to conduct countermeasures after the United States government imposed 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese goods on Thursday.

The ministry released a statement saying China resolutely opposes the US' latest tariff move under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, and pledged to defend free trade and the multilateral system.

China will file the lawsuit on this tariff measure using the dispute settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization.