Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s executive chairman Jack Ma pleaded with governments around the globe not to use “trade as a weapon,” as President Donald Trump made his first major move to level a global playing field he says is tilted against American companies.

“It is easy to launch a trade war but so difficult to stop the disaster of this war,” Ma said at a panel in Davos on Wednesday. “I am scared. I am concerned. Don’t use trade as a weapon.”

“It’s impossible to stop trade. The world needs trade,” Ma said.

The U.S. will impose new duties of as much as 30 per cent on imported solar equipment, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said Monday. Trump, who took office a year ago, also approved tariffs as high as 50 per cent on imported washing machines.