Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared a 90-day pause on tariffs for all countries except China, as trade tensions between Washington and Beijing continued to intensify.
The announcement came shortly after the U.S. raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 104 percent. In response, China increased its own tariffs on American goods from 34 percent to 84 percent. The tit-for-tat measures escalated rapidly, with Trump subsequently pushing U.S. tariffs on China even higher—to 125 percent, effective immediately.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said the move was necessary as China could no longer “rip off” the U.S. or other countries. Meanwhile, in a conciliatory gesture toward other trading partners, Trump said over 75 nations had engaged in talks and refrained from retaliating. As a result, he authorized a temporary 10 percent tariff rate—down from higher levels—effective immediately for those nations.
NEW TRUTH SOCIAL FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP:
🇨🇳125% TARIFF ON CHINA
🌎90-DAY PAUSE & LOWERED 10% RECIPROCAL TARIFF FOR OTHER COUNTRIES🚨EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY pic.twitter.com/Gt5Bd6276m
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 9, 2025
The sharp increase in tariffs by both the U.S. and China signals a deepening of the ongoing trade war, with global economic implications.
