US announces additional 50% tariffs on China taking total to 104%

The new tariff structure, effective from April 9, 2025, 12:01 AM ET (0401 GMT), followed President Donald Trump's recent ultimatum to Beijing to roll back its retaliatory 34-per cent duties on American goods.

Beijing dared Washington to do so earlier yesterday, and Trump approved it within hours.

The US used to impose a 10-per cent tariff on Chinese goods till last month, which President Trump said, ‘robbed and ripped off’ the US economy of billions and billions of dollars as ‘tariff abuser’ Beijing levied a far higher tariff on US goods.

The extraordinary hike—comprising a 20-per cent tariff levied in March, followed by another 34-per cent last week and an additional 50 per cent confirmed  yesterday—is among the most aggressive US trade actions in recent memory.

"China also wants to make a deal, badly, but they don't know how to get it started. We are waiting for their call," Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

"The US threat to escalate tariffs against China is a mistake on top of a mistake, which once again exposes the US' blackmailing nature," China's commerce ministry said in a statement, adding that "If the US insists on having its way, China will fight to the end."

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)