US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters about auto tariffs after signing an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House on March 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
US President Donald Trump has declared a 90-day pause on tariffs, but notably excluded China from the delay.
The announcement was made via his Truth Social platform. It outlined a temporary reciprocal tariff of 10% for most countries during the pause.
However, tariffs on Chinese goods were sharply increased to 125%, also effective immediately.
In his post, Trump justified the move against China by citing its “lack of respect” for global markets.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced this stance. “When you punch at the United States of America, President Trump is going to punch back harder.”
She said the US remains open to tailored negotiations and aims to reduce tariffs universally to 10% during discussions.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said countries refraining from retaliatory measures against US tariffs would be “rewarded.”
He said Mexico and Canada are included in the 10% baseline tariff rate and highlighted that the hike in Chinese tariffs stemmed from Beijing’s “insistence on escalation.”
The heightened tariffs on China signal an intensification of trade tensions between the two economic giants.
On April 2, Trump announced his trade war strategy by imposing tariffs on trading partners and various countries worldwide.
As part of that move, the White House declared a 34% tariff on Chinese imports. In response, Beijing announced a reciprocal 34% tariff on US imports.
China criticized the Trump administration’s tariff policies, stating that they harm the stability of global production and supply chains while seriously impacting the world’s economic recovery.
The escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing continues to raise concerns about its broader implications for global markets and economic stability.
