US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods. The warning by Trump, made on social media, comes after China announced retaliatory tariffs of 34% on US goods.
He has demanded China remove its retaliatory tariffs by April 8. Failing that, he said he would raise US tariff rates further on April 9.
“Therefore, if China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” Trump said.
If these new additional tariffs do go into effect, Chinese goods entering the US would face tariffs of a staggering 104%.
The announcement has raised concerns of a deeper dispute with far-reaching economic consequences. As of writing, neither side has publicly backed down.
Over the past week, the world’s two largest economies have made tariff-related announcements at a dizzying pace.
It all began when the Trump administration rolled out new levies on Chinese imports, including a 34% tariff on various products, on top of a separate 20% levy. China quickly responded with its own 34% tariffs on several American exports, prompting the White House to consider additional measures.
President Trump has long argued that previous administrations tolerated unfair practices, allowing an ever-growing US trade deficit with China.
However, from Beijing’s point of view, Washington is the aggressor. Chinese authorities describe US trade moves as “economic bullying,” accusing the Trump administration of undermining global commerce and flouting fair competition.
Timeline of US-China Tariffs in 2025 (so far)
February 1, 2025 – US Makes the First Move
President Trump kicked off a new round of trade tensions by signing an executive order that added a 10% tariff to everything the US imports from China. These new taxes started a few days later, on February 4.
February 4, 2025 – China Hits Back Fast
China didn’t wait long to respond. That same day, it announced its own tariffs on US products like coal, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and farming equipment. China also stopped buying certain goods from American companies.
March 4, 2025 – US Doubles Down
About a month later, the US raised the pressure by increasing tariffs to 20% on Chinese goods.
March 10, 2025 – China Raises the Stakes
In response, China boosted tariffs up to 15% on American chicken, pork, soybeans, and beef. On top of that, it made it harder for some US companies to do business in China.
April 2, 2025 – “Liberation Day”
President Trump called this day “Liberation Day” and announced a new set of rules. Now, all imports to the US would have a 10% tariff. But China got hit even harder—with an extra 34% added just for them, bringing their total up to a whopping 54%. These new rates kicked in on April 9.
April 4, 2025 – China’s Big Response
China fired back with a 34% tariff on everything it buys from the US, starting April 10. But that’s not all—they also:
- Limited exports of rare earth minerals, which are used in high-tech stuff like electronics and defense gear
- Took the US to the World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Banned some US farm imports like sorghum and poultry
- Put 27 American companies on a trade restriction list
- Started an investigation into DuPont China Group, a big US-owned chemical company
April 7, 2025 – One Last Warning
President Trump issued a final threat: if China didn’t remove its 34% tariffs by April 8, the US would pile on another 50% tariff. That would bring the total tariff on Chinese goods to a jaw-dropping 104%.
