The White House on Tuesday confirmed the implementation of a sweeping 104% tariff on imports from China, intensifying the ongoing economic standoff between Washington and Beijing.
The move, which includes both existing levies and new duties under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act, came into effect at 00:01 ET (04:01 GMT) on April 9, according to reports.
The tariff follows through on a warning issued by President Donald Trump, who had set a Monday deadline for Beijing to roll back its own 34% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. With China refusing to make concessions, the U.S. administration proceeded with the additional measures.
In a fiery post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump had warned that unless China rolled back its recent 34% hike in tariffs—on top of what he called "long-term trading abuses"—the U.S. would retaliate with an additional 50% tariff, effective April 9.
Until last month, the U.S. imposed a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports. Former President Donald Trump had criticised the arrangement, saying it allowed Beijing—whom he labelled a “tariff abuser”—to “rob and rip off” the U.S. economy by levying much higher duties on American goods.
Last week, Trump announced a “reciprocal tariff” policy, under which the U.S. would charge other countries roughly half the rate they imposed on U.S. exports. For China, that meant an additional 34 per cent duty, raising the total to 44 per cent.
Shortly after the April 2 announcement, the White House cited a “national emergency” linked to security concerns and persistent trade deficits to justify a new “baseline” 10 per cent tariff on all countries. As a result, China’s total effective tariff burden rose to 54 per cent.
With Tuesday’s imposition of an “additional 50 per cent” tariff specifically targeting China, Beijing now faces an unprecedented total levy of 104 per cent—a near 100 per cent increase within a week.
Despite the escalation, Trump had signalled a potential opening for renewed talks. “China also wants to make a deal, badly, but they don’t know how to get it started. We are waiting for their call,” he posted on Truth Social.
Trump also signalled a hardline shift in diplomacy, announcing the cancellation of China's "requested meetings" with the U.S., and said the administration would instead focus on strengthening trade ties with other nations.
The resulting 104% tariff on Chinese imports is expected to send shockwaves through global supply chains, intensifying the trade conflict and potentially reshaping international commerce.
Beijing has not issued an official response to the latest U.S. tariff hike, but it has previously vowed to "fight to the end" if Washington continues to escalate the trade war, signalling the possibility of further retaliation in the days ahead.