President Donald Trump gave China a deadline of Tuesday “to withdraw” its retaliatory tariff on the United States, threatening to impose an additional 50% tariff on the communist country.
The president also said he would cancel meetings with China if the country doesn’t back down from its retaliatory tariff. The additional 50% tariff would be added onto the 34% tariff imposed by Trump last week, which was put in place on top of a 20% levy the president imposed on China shortly after taking office, Bloomberg reported.
Last week, in his “Liberation Day” announcement, the president imposed tariffs on almost all of the United States’ top trading partners, including a 34% tariff on China. China responded to Trump’s tariffs on Friday, announcing a 34% tariff on all U.S. imports and calling for the White House “to immediately cancel its unilateral tariff measures and resolve trade differences through consultation in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner.”
Trump doubled down on the tariffs on Monday and slammed China for its trade practices.
“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,” the president wrote. “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!”
As some countries appear willing to negotiate with Trump to end the tariffs, China appears to be digging in. Last month, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the country is “ready to fight till the end” through “a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war.”
