HOT: Mr. Trump imposes 125% tax on China, postpones tax for 90 days, more than 75 countries 'do not retaliate'

US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social announcing an immediate increase in tariffs on China to 125% and a 90-day delay in tariffs on more than 75 countries, as well as a reduction in reciprocal tariffs to 10%.

President Trump

Emphasize increasing taxes on China

Early morning on April 10 (Vietnam time), US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social announcing an immediate increase in tariffs on China to 125%.

"Based on the disrespect that China has shown to the world markets, I have decided to immediately raise the United States' tariffs on China to 125%.

Hopefully in the near future, China will realize that taking advantage of the United States and other countries is no longer sustainable or acceptable," Trump explained.

Postpone tariffs with more than 75 countries wanting to negotiate

At the same time, he also announced that more than 75 countries have proactively contacted the US to negotiate trade issues. Since these countries have not retaliated against the US, he decided to suspend tariffs for 90 days and apply a lower reciprocal tariff of only 10% during this time.

“In contrast, given the fact that more than 75 countries have reached out to U.S. representatives, including the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Treasury , and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), to negotiate solutions related to trade, trade barriers, tariffs, currency manipulation, and other non-tariff measures, these countries, at my strong request, have not retaliated against the United States in any way.

I am suspending the reciprocal tariffs for 90 days and applying a significantly lower reciprocal tariff of 10% during this time, effective immediately. Thank you for your attention to this issue!", Mr. Trump shared on Truth Social.

Mr Trump's decision came just hours after China announced it would raise tariffs on US goods to 84%, and exactly half a day after Washington's tariffs on most of its trading partners officially took effect.

Analysts say that Mr. Trump's temporary suspension of tariffs on the rest of the world demonstrates the US president's desire to negotiate trade, while also creating more time for partners to prepare for the next scenarios.

On the contrary, imposing heavy taxes on China clearly reflects the determination of Mr. Trump as well as the US government in the increasingly tense trade war between the two largest economies in the world.

What is 10%?

According to the Wall Street Journal , White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that within 90 days, all countries will be subject to the 10% tariff, including Canada and Mexico - two countries that were previously exempted from the reciprocal tariffs.

Finance Minister Scott Bessent also added that sectoral tariffs, such as the 25% tariff on cars and steel, would also be reduced to 10% during this period.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speak to the press about tariffs at the White House on April 9 - Photo: REUTERS

US Treasury Secretary: Rewarding Non-Retaliation

According to CNN, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Mr. Trump's decision to postpone tariffs with countries except China is a reward for countries that have not chosen to retaliate.

He said the postponement of the reciprocal tariffs would create conditions for negotiating new trade agreements.

“He has shown great, great courage to hold out until this point,” Mr. Bessent told reporters at the White House shortly after Mr. Trump announced a 90-day moratorium on new reciprocal tariffs.

Minister Bessent also said tariffs for countries wishing to negotiate with the US would be reduced to 10%, including Canada and Mexico.

“Any country in the world that wants to come to negotiate, we are ready to listen,” he added.

The US administration expects countries to bring President Trump their best proposals as it seeks to reshape global trade, he said.

Strategic from the start, not haphazard?

According to CNN, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described Mr. Trump's decision to delay tariffs as part of a long-term plan to encourage countries to negotiate, not an arbitrary action that would shake the global economy.

"This was the strategy laid out by the President. He and I had a long discussion on Sunday, and this was his plan from the beginning. You could even say he pushed China into a disadvantageous position. They responded," he said.

CNN previously reported that Mr. Bessent traveled to Mar-a-Lago on April 6 to discuss the tariffs with Mr. Trump, encouraging him to focus on the ultimate goal of reaching new agreements with various countries.

Mr. Bessent also said President Trump would “personally participate” in all negotiations to achieve concessions.

“No one has leveraged himself like President Trump,” said Mr. Bessent.

Container ship CMA CGM Osiris docks at Oakland port in Oakland, California, USA on April 9 - Photo: AFP

US says tariff escalation is China's "own goal"

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Donald Trump's announcement of a 125% tariff increase on China was "due to their determination to escalate."

As I have said many times, and President Trump has said for many years, China is the most unbalanced economy in the history of the modern world, and they are the biggest source of America's trade problems.

Indeed, they are also a problem for the rest of the world, because after the US announced the tariff wall last week, many goods from China started flooding into Europe,” said Mr. Bessent.

However, the US Treasury Secretary still asserted that Washington is not involved in a trade war.

“I don’t call it a trade war, but I think China has escalated, and President Trump has responded very courageously, and we will work with our trading partners to find a solution.”

Mr. Bessent called China's tariff escalation an "own goal."

He also mentioned ongoing negotiations with countries including Vietnam, Japan, South Korea and India.

Senior trade adviser: US wants to create a level playing field

Peter Navarro, a senior trade adviser to Mr Trump, said that those concerned about tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are underestimating Mr Trump's negotiating ability with other countries.

He said the goal in upcoming talks with many countries was to “drastically reduce our trade deficit” and “establish a level playing field.”

US Commerce Secretary: The world is ready to cooperate

According to CNBC, posted on X, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said he and Secretary Bessent sat with Mr. Trump when the US president posted the announcement on Truth Social.

A post that Mr Lutnick considered “the most extraordinary of Mr Trump's presidency”.

“The world was ready to work with President Trump to fix global trade, and China chose the opposite direction,” Mr. Lutnick wrote.

Democratic Party leaders complain

"He keeps changing things every day," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.

Mr Schumer added that the danger from Mr Trump's tariffs had not passed and attributed the latest move to a nationwide backlash.

"Donald Trump is feeling the pressure from Democrats and across the country about how bad these tariffs are. He's backing down, and that's a good thing," Schumer said.

WTO warns of "US-China trade war"

World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has warned that the tariff war between the US and China could cause bilateral trade in goods to fall by up to 80%.

“The escalating trade tensions between the US and China pose a significant risk of a sharp decline in bilateral trade,” Ms. Okonjo-Iweala said.

Our preliminary forecasts suggest that trade in goods between the two economies could fall by up to 80%.”

US House Speaker praises Trump's "art of negotiation"

US House Speaker Mike Johnson had a celebratory moment on X, following Mr Trump's latest tariff announcement.

“Behold the art of negotiation. President Trump has created leverage, brought many countries to the table and will benefit American workers, American manufacturers and the future of America!”, he wrote.

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