In a dramatic escalation of trade tensions, former U.S. President Donald Trump has raised tariffs on Chinese goods from 104% to a staggering 125%, signaling a hardline stance against what he describes as unfair trade practices.
Announced on Wednesday, Trump’s latest move comes alongside a surprising twist—a temporary suspension of tariffs on many other countries. The freeze applies to all nations previously subjected to the earlier duties, offering them a reprieve amid shifting global trade dynamics.
This development follows Trump’s earlier policy shakeup this month, when he unveiled a 10% baseline tariff on all imports, with rates climbing up to 50% for what he labeled as the “worst offenders.”
The tariff on Chinese imports, which started at 10% in March, has escalated progressively through 20%, 54%, 104%, and now to 125%—all in retaliation against China’s countermeasures.
In response, Beijing has implemented an 84% tariff on US goods, set to take effect on April 10.
Additionally, China has issued travel warnings for its citizens planning to visit the United States.
Trump criticized China’s actions as a “lack of respect” and emphasized that the US could no longer tolerate such behavior.
“At some point, hopefully soon, China will realize that the days of exploiting the U.S.A. and other countries are over,” he said in a statement.
The White House also mentioned that more than 75 countries have reached out to negotiate a resolution to the ongoing tariff dispute.
Trump confirmed that the suspension for these countries, as well as China’s new tariff hike, would go into effect immediately.
