Trump Threatens ‘ADDITIONAL’ 50% Tariff and ‘Terminated’ Negotiations in China Trade War Escalation
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to “impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%” if the country doesn’t withdraw its 34% tariff on U.S. goods that it levied following Trump slapping China with a 34% tariff last week.
Trump, who ignited a global trade war last week by imposing sweeping tariffs on U.S. allies and foes alike, took to his Truth Social platform to try and browbeat China into submission.
“Yesterday, China issued Retaliatory Tariffs of 34%, on top of their already record setting Tariffs, Non-Monetary Tariffs, Illegal Subsidization of companies, and massive long term Currency Manipulation, despite my warning that any country that Retaliates against the U.S. by issuing additional Tariffs, above and beyond their already existing long term Tariff abuse of our Nation, will be immediately met with new and substantially higher Tariffs, over and above those initially set,” Trump wrote, adding:
Therefore, if China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th. Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated! Negotiations with other countries, which have also requested meetings, will begin taking place immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
China announced it would match Trump’s tariffs on Friday. The Associated Press reported at the time, “China announced Friday that it will impose a 34% tax on all U.S. imports next week, part of a flurry of retaliatory measures to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariffs that delivered the strongest response yet from Beijing to the American leader’s trade war.”
“The tariffs taking effect Thursday match the rate that Trump this week ordered imposed on Chinese products flowing into the United States. In February and March, Trump slapped two rounds of 10% tariffs on Chinese goods, citing allegations of Beijing’s role in the fentanyl crisis,” added the AP.
“CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED – THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social at the time, reacting to the news.
Trump’s tariffs have sent to stock market on a downward spiral, dropping the Dow well below 38,000 after peaking over 45,000 ahead of Trump taking office.
