The United States has imposed a 104 per cent tariff on China, following President Donald Trump’s warning of an additional 50 per cent tariff if China failed to withdraw its 34 per cent retaliatory tariff. Announcing the decision, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “When America is punched, President Trump punches back harder.”
“America Punches Back Harder”
The White House Press Secretary said, “It was a mistake for China to retaliate. The President, when America is punched, he punches back harder. That's why there will be 104% tariffs going into effect on China tonight. But the President believes that Xi and China want to make a deal, they just don’t know how to get that started. And the President also wants me to tell all of you that if China reaches out to make a deal, he will be incredibly gracious.”
Will Fight To The End: China
China has once again vowed to fight to the end if the United States persisted with its tariff wars. The Chinese Embassy in the US issued a statement on social media platform X, in which it stated, “If the US disregards the interests of both nations and the international community by persisting with tariff wars and trade wars, China will have no choice but to fight to the end.”
The Tariff War
The tariff dispute between the United States and China started when President Donald Trump, upon returning to office, imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, raising the total tariff rate to 20%. On April 2, as part of his reciprocal tariff strategy, Trump announced an extra 34% tariff on Chinese goods. In retaliation, China imposed a 34% tariff on all US imports starting April 10, 2025. Subsequently, Trump warned of an additional 50% tariff if China did not retract its retaliatory tariffs, a threat the US has now executed, bringing the total tariff on Chinese goods to 104%.
