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AZUZ: There's a challenging decision ahead of the Trump 1 administration when it comes to steel and aluminum 2. Both of these metals are important to the U.S. economy. They're in everything from cars to dishwashers, pipelines 3 to soda 4 cans.

America uses 100 million tons of steel every year and five and a half million tons of aluminum. A third of that steel is imported from other countries. Ninety percent of aluminum is. That's not good for American middle manufacturers who've had to close some plants because of cheaper imports.

But will President Trump impose new tariffs 5, taxes on steel and aluminum that's imported? He has until April to decide on recommendations from the U.S. Commerce Department. But while American manufacturers could benefit from tariffs on imported metal, they could cause prices to rise on American metal and everything it's used for.

One country that tariffs could target is China.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, if tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China to the U.S. are in fact enacted 6, how will China respond?

That's the big question many here in China are asking, after the latest news out of the White House.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross made his suggestions in three basic options. Number one, impose across-the-board tariffs on steel and aluminum from all countries. Two, select targeted countries with even higher tariffs. Or three, limit the total steel and aluminum coming into the United States overall.

All three of those would have major effects on Chinese imports and perhaps signal that the Trump administration is, in fact, more willing to actually carry out tougher trade measures in policy, more like the kind of rhetoric 7 we heard from then candidate Trump on the 2016 campaign trail where he regularly accused China of stealing U.S. jobs while not playing by international rules.

Now, the president has largely shied away from challenging Beijing economically since taking office. So far, not much of a response from China because we are smack 8 dab 9 in the middle of the Chinese New Year holidays, so government offices have been closed and will remain so for a few days now.

We did see a brief article from state media outlet 10 Xinhua, though. They quoted a senior official named Wang Hejun at the commerce ministry 11 here, saying, quote: If the United States' final decision affects China's interests, we will take necessary measures to defend our what, rights.

Nothing more specific than that though.

It is worth noting that there is wide agreement among economists 12 that China has sold steel at unfairly low prices in the U.S. for years because of cheap production costs here domestically and hundreds of US sanctions have helped reduce steel imports already. China is now no longer among the top steel importers to the United States.

Now, the president has until mid-April to decide what kind of action to take in regards to potential tariffs, if any action at all. But if he does decide to act, you can absolutely expect China to respond.

Analysts 13 and industry representatives that we've spoken to here in China over the last several months or so say there is broad concern that Beijing will target major U.S. industries and companies that rally on access to Chinese markets. Think Boeing and their airplanes or the soybean industry that exports billions of dollars of product to China each year. Restricting access to Chinese customers could seriously hurt U.S. companies in the short and long term.