President Donald Trump is set to impose tariffs of at least 104% on all Chinese imports starting Wednesday, as confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
These new tariffs are in addition to the existing levies that were implemented before Trump began his second term in office.
Originally, China was due to face a 34% tariff hike under Trump’s “reciprocal” trade policy. However, the administration announced an additional 50% increase after Beijing reiterated plans to impose 34% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods by noon Tuesday. This results in a combined 84% increase, pushing the total U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods to over 100%.
“Countries like China, who have chosen to retaliate and continue mistreating American workers, are making a mistake,” said Leavitt. “President Trump has a spine of steel, and he will not break.”
Leavitt also claimed that China “wants to make a deal” but “just doesn’t know how,” though she did not specify what concessions could lead to a reduction in tariffs.
Last year, China was the second-largest source of U.S. imports, shipping $439 billion worth of goods, while the U.S. exported $144 billion to China. Economists warn that the escalating tariff war may hurt domestic industries and lead to job losses.
In response, China’s Commerce Ministry strongly opposed the new measures, calling them “a mistake upon a mistake,” and vowed to retaliate further against U.S. exports.
Other countries, including members of the European Union, also face potential tariff hikes under new trade rules announced last week. These tariffs, ranging from 11% to 50%, are set to take effect at midnight.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to negotiate exemptions or delays, Leavitt confirmed that the administration is moving forward with the plan.
“President Trump expects these tariffs to go into effect,” she stated, adding that the president has instructed his trade team to pursue “tailor-made” deals with countries willing to negotiate. However, she emphasized that these deals would not be “off-the-rack” and provided no timeline for when agreements might be reached.
