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President Donald Trump on Monday issued a sharp warning to China, threatening to impose an additional 50% tariff on all Chinese imports if the country does not withdraw its planned 34% retaliatory import tax on American goods.
The warning, delivered via Trump’s Truth Social account, marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing trade standoff between the world’s two largest economies.
“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,” Trump wrote. “If China does not withdraw its 34% increase… by tomorrow, April 8th, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th.”
The new tariff would be in addition to a sweeping 34% tariff on Chinese imports announced by Trump last week and a 20% levy targeting Chinese goods tied to fentanyl production. If implemented, the combined U.S. tariff burden on Chinese imports would reach 104%.
Beijing’s retaliatory 34% tariff is set to take effect on April 10, in response to Trump’s April 2 announcement of a 10% global tariff on imports from about 90 countries. That move, which the president dubbed “Liberation Day,” was framed as an effort to correct what he called decades of unfair trade practices and chronic trade deficits.
The economic stakes are high. The U.S. imported roughly $439 billion in goods from China in 2024, including smartphones, electronics, and apparel. Economists warn the cumulative tariff hikes could increase costs for U.S. consumers and businesses, with Yale Budget Lab estimating an average household cost increase of $3,789 per year from already-announced tariffs alone.
“Consumers will feel the squeeze,” said economist Carla Stone of the Brookings Institution. “Tariffs are taxes — and those costs usually get passed on through higher prices.”
Retail giants like Walmart and Target are expected to raise prices on affected products as they absorb the higher import costs.
Wall Street has responded nervously. Fears of a prolonged trade war and increased inflation have led to market volatility and renewed concerns about a potential recession.
In a separate post Monday, Trump claimed to have spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba about trade negotiations, adding, “They don’t take our cars, but we take MILLIONS of theirs.”
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro emphasized that the administration wants more than lower tariffs from its trading partners.
“When countries come to us saying, ‘We’ll go to zero tariffs,’ that’s not enough,” Navarro said on CNBC. “It’s the non-tariff cheating — subsidies, regulations, currency manipulation — that matters most.”
With the April 8 deadline looming, tensions between Washington and Beijing are reaching a breaking point. Trump insists he is prepared to negotiate, but only on his terms.
