Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark ultimatum to China, threatening to impose an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports if Beijing fails to withdraw its recently announced 34% counter-tariff by Tuesday.
The move comes amid intensifying trade tensions following Trump’s sweeping new import duties, including a 34% levy on Chinese goods announced as part of his so-called “Liberation Day” tariff package. That package set a minimum 10% tariff on goods from nearly all of America’s trading partners.
Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Monday, Trump warned: “All talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us [on tariffs] will be terminated!”
If implemented, the additional 50% tariff would pile on top of existing duties, bringing the effective tariff rate on some Chinese imports to a staggering 104%, factoring in the 20% duties imposed in March and last week’s 34%.
China responded swiftly, accusing Washington of “economic bullying”. In a statement, Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said: “Pressuring or threatening China is not a right way to engage. This is a typical move of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying.”
The statement went on to accuse the U.S. of pursuing selfish interests under the guise of reciprocity, stating: “The US hegemonic move in the name of ‘reciprocity’ puts ‘America first’ over international rules.”
Despite the rising economic uncertainty, Trump made it clear that he was not considering a pause in the sweeping global tariffs to allow for negotiations. “We’re not looking at that,” he said. “There are going to be fair deals.”
The prospect of a deepening trade war between the world’s two largest economies has shaken global financial markets. U.S. stocks fell sharply again on Monday, while European markets, including the FTSE 100, closed over 4% down. In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped more than 13%—its worst one-day loss since 1997—before showing modest recovery on Tuesday.
The US-China trade relationship remains one of the most consequential in the global economy. While China’s major exports to the U.S. include electrical machinery, computers, furniture, toys, and vehicles, America’s leading exports to China are oilseeds and grains, aircraft, and pharmaceuticals.
Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump said the tariffs were essential to addressing America’s economic imbalance. “We have $36 trillion debt for a reason. It’s now America first,” he said, while leaving open the door to future talks: “There could be both permanent tariffs and negotiations.”
As the Tuesday deadline looms, all eyes remain on Beijing to see whether it will hold its ground—or seek de-escalation.
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