The ball is in China’s court: US on tariff tussle

Amid escalating trade tensions with China, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has conveyed President Donald Trump’s stance on China: “The ball is in China’s court.”

Sharing Trump’s take on the issue Leavitt said, “The president has made his position on China quite clear, although I do have an additional statement that he just shared with me in the Oval Office.” "The ball is in China's court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don't have to make a deal with them. There's no difference between China and any other country—except that they are much larger, and China wants what we have,” the White House Press Secretary added.

"Every country wants what we have"

Earlier, speaking at the Oval Office, Trump had emphasised that while the US is open to a deal, China must make concessions. “We don’t have to make a deal with them,” he stated. “Every country wants what we have: the American consumer. Or to put it another way, they need our money.” This reflects a broader US strategy to leverage tariffs to address trade imbalances and protect domestic interests.

US tariff actions against China

Since January 2025, the US has imposed sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports. On February 4, a 10% tariff targeted all Chinese goods under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to curb fentanyl supply chains. By March 3, this rose to 20%, and on April 2, Executive Order 14257 added a 34% reciprocal tariff, bringing the total to 54%. On April 10, the US clarified a 145% tariff rate, incorporating earlier duties.

Additionally, Trump closed a loophole for duty-free low-value packages from China, imposing a 30% fee (or $25, rising to $50 by June) starting May 2, impacting e-commerce platforms like Temu. These measures aim to reduce reliance on Chinese imports but have disrupted global supply chains.

China’s retaliatory actions

China has countered aggressively, imposing 10–15% tariffs on US natural resources, machinery, and agricultural products (soybeans, pork, wheat) since February 2025. On April 4, a 34% tariff hit all US imports, escalating to 125% by April 11. Beijing also banned US defense firms, restricted rare-earth mineral exports, and added US companies to its “unreliable entity list.” Anti-dumping probes and a WTO complaint further signal China’s defiance.