Trump Declares Additional 50% Tariff on Chinese Imports Amid Intensifying Trade Tensions

Trump Declares Additional 50% Tariff on Chinese Imports Amid Intensifying Trade Tensions

The US-China trade dispute has reached new heights, with Washington's tariffs on all Chinese products now peaking at an unprecedented 84%. This escalation follows former President Donald Trump's announcement of an extra 50% tariff on Chinese imports—just 48 hours after Beijing introduced its own retaliatory measure: a 34% tariff on US goods. This move came in response to Trump’s previously declared reciprocal tariff action.

With the global tariff rate imposed by the US standing at 10%, China's total exposure to US tariffs has now surged to 94%. Trump issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Chinese President Xi Jinping to retract the recently imposed tariffs against the US, warning that failure to comply would result in the full enforcement of the new tariff rates starting April 9, 2025.

The announcement, made around 11:30 am US time (9:00 pm IST), was shared by Trump via his social platform, Truth Social. In his post, Trump condemned China for its retaliatory measures, longstanding tariff practices, illegal subsidies, and currency manipulation. He reaffirmed his stance that any additional tariffs from China would be countered with even steeper US tariffs.

“If China does not reverse its 34% tariff hike by April 8th, the US will proceed with an added 50% duty on Chinese goods,” Trump stated firmly. He also declared a suspension of any ongoing or upcoming trade discussions with Beijing and signaled openness to negotiations with countries that have not retaliated against the US.

This dramatic move has sent shockwaves through global markets, with oil prices and stock indices seeing significant drops over the past 72 hours. Trump defended his tariff strategy as a simple matter of fairness: “These are reciprocal—what they do to us, we will do to them,” he asserted during an earlier address.

China, frequently criticized by Trump for what he terms “decades of tariff abuse,” responded swiftly and symmetrically. Ahead of Trump’s announcement, Chinese officials cautioned that escalating tariffs would ignite a damaging trade war that serves no one’s interests.