Trump threatens to add 50% tariffs on China if retaliatory tariffs not dropped

President Donald Trump warned Monday that he would impose "additional tariffs on China of 50%" if Beijing "does not withdraw" the 34% tariffs it announced against the U.S. last week.China unveiled the measures in response to Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcements.

"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, despite my warning that any country that Retaliates against the U.S. by issuing additional Tariffs, above and beyond their already existing long term Tariff abuse of our Nation, will be immediately met with new and substantially higher Tariffs, over and above those initially set," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

"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," he continued. "Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated! Negotiations with other countries, which have also requested meetings, will begin taking place immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

 

Trump earlier called China the "biggest abuser of them all" when it comes to tariffs.

"Oil prices are down, interest rates are down (the slow moving Fed should cut rates!), food prices are down, there is NO INFLATION, and the long time abused USA is bringing in Billions of Dollars a week from the abusing countries on Tariffs that are already in place," Trump said Monday morning on his Truth Social account.

"This is despite the fact that the biggest abuser of them all, China, whose markets are crashing, just raised its Tariffs by 34%, on top of its long term ridiculously high Tariffs (Plus!), not acknowledging my warning for abusing countries not to retaliate," he added. "They’ve made enough, for decades, taking advantage of the Good OL’ USA! Our past ‘leaders’ are to blame for allowing this, and so much else, to happen to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" 

He then wrote "Countries from all over the World are talking to us. Tough but fair parameters are being set. 

"Spoke to the Japanese Prime Minister this morning. He is sending a top team to negotiate! They have treated the U.S. very poorly on Trade. They don’t take our cars, but we take MILLIONS of theirs. Likewise Agriculture, and many other ‘things.’ It all has to change, but especially with CHINA!!!" he added.

 

China’s foreign ministry over the weekend slammed the Trump administration’s latest tariffs. 

"By taking such action, the United States defies the fundamental laws of economics and market principles, disregards the balanced outcomes achieved through multilateral trade negotiations, ignores the fact that the U.S. has long benefited substantially from international trade, and weaponizes tariffs to exert maximum pressure for selfish interests," it said. 

"This is a typical act of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying. Under the guise of ‘reciprocity’ and ‘fairness,’ the United States is playing a zero-sum game to pursue in essence ‘America First’ and ‘American exceptionalism,’" it continued. "It attempts to exploit tariffs to subvert the existing international economic and trade order, put U.S. interests above the common good of the international community, and advance U.S. hegemonic ambitions at the cost of the legitimate interests of all countries.  

"Such action will inevitably face widespread opposition from the international community," it warned

 

China announced last week it would impose its own 34% tariffs on the U.S., which are set to go into effect Thursday, April 10. 

A commentary published Monday in The People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the China Communist Party, added that "the sky won’t fall" and "Faced with the indiscriminate punches of U.S. taxes, we know what we are doing and we have tools at our disposal," according to the Associated Press.    

An analyst at Teneo also noted that "The abandonment of restraint" in China’s response to the latest tariffs likely reflects "diminished hopes for a trade deal with the U.S., at least in the short term," CNBC also reported.