The US-China trade war has reached a new boiling point. In a dramatic escalation, President Donald Trump announced an additional 50% tariff on all Chinese imports—less than 48 hours after Beijing retaliated with its own 34% hike on US goods.
This tit-for-tat exchange now brings the total US tariff on Chinese exports to a staggering 84%, marking the highest level in the history of the bilateral trade relationship.
To make matters even more intense, this new tariff sits on top of a 10% global import duty the US has applied to all nations. In China’s case, this brings the total burden of US-imposed tariffs to a jaw-dropping 94%.
Trump made the announcement at 11:30 AM US time (9:00 PM IST) on Monday, via his social media platform, Truth Social.
In his post, he blasted China for what he described as decades of “tariff abuse,” currency manipulation, and unfair trade practices. He accused Beijing of ignoring prior warnings and responded with what he called a necessary countermeasure.
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“Yesterday, 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,” Trump wrote.
“Despite my warning that any country retaliating against the US will be immediately met with new and substantially higher tariffs, China went ahead. So we’re doing just that.”
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Trump has given Chinese President Xi Jinping a 24-hour deadline to withdraw the new 34% tariff on American goods. If Beijing fails to comply by April 8, the US will fully implement the revised 94% tariff rate on April 9.
In a further blow to diplomatic relations, Trump announced an immediate suspension of all trade talks with China. “All talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated,” he declared. “Negotiations with other countries, which have not retaliated, will begin immediately.”
This latest round of tariffs is part of Trump’s broader “reciprocal tariff” strategy, which aims to level the playing field by matching the trade barriers other countries impose on the United States. “These are, as the name suggests, just reciprocal,” Trump said during a press briefing last Wednesday. “We do to them what they do to us.”
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China, for its part, has not taken the latest US move lightly. After Trump’s initial announcement of the 34% tariff, Beijing responded swiftly with identical measures, warning that continued escalation would lead to a “painful trade war” with no winners.
The global fallout has already begun. Stock markets have plunged, oil prices have tumbled, and investor confidence has taken a major hit. Over the past 72 hours, markets have been in free fall as fears of a full-scale economic conflict between the world’s two largest economies loom larger.
While President Trump remains adamant that these measures are about fairness and restoring balance, critics warn that this increasingly aggressive approach could derail global trade and send ripple effects through every major economy.
With deadlines looming and tensions rising, the world is watching closely. Whether diplomacy can still prevail—or whether the trade war will spiral even further—remains to be seen.
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