Donald Trump has hit back hard after China announced sweeping new tariffs in retaliation for the U.S. president’s aggressive trade moves earlier this week.
On April 4, China declared it will impose 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. imports starting April 10, in direct response to Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, announced just two days earlier.
Under Trump’s new plan, Chinese goods entering the U.S. will face a massive 54 percent tariff — a move that sparked immediate backlash from Beijing.
In a statement, China’s Ministry of Commerce condemned the tariffs, calling them a “typical unilateral bullying practice” that “seriously undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system” and violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. In response, China not only rolled out its own tariff plan, but also confirmed it has filed a WTO lawsuit against the U.S.
But Trump wasn’t backing down. Taking to Truth Social, the president dismissed Beijing’s counterpunch as a sign of weakness.
“CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG,” he posted. “THEY PANICKED – THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO!”
Alongside the tariffs, China also unveiled new export controls on rare earth materials, a vital component in high-tech manufacturing — including electric vehicle batteries and computer chips — hinting at a longer-term strategy in the ongoing trade battle.
China has already hit back with 15 percent tariffs on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas, and 10 percent on crude oil, large-engine cars, and agricultural equipment. But Thursday’s sweeping 34 percent blanket tariff takes the tension to a new level.
Despite rising global concern, Trump remained defiant. In a series of Truth Social posts, he doubled down on his economic vision, touting his administration’s performance and encouraging investors to stay the course.
“TO THE MANY INVESTORS COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES AND INVESTING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE,” he wrote. “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH, RICHER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!”
He followed up with a post celebrating job growth: “GREAT JOB NUMBERS, FAR BETTER THAN EXPECTED. IT’S ALREADY WORKING. HANG TOUGH, WE CAN’T LOSE!!!”
With both economic superpowers digging in their heels, the trade war between the U.S. and China shows no signs of cooling off — and the global market is watching closely.
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