The United States announced a new escalation in the ongoing trade dispute with China, imposing tariffs of up to 245% on a wide range of Chinese imports, as part of what Washington describes as confronting “unfair trade practices” by Beijing.
The White House said in an official statement that “China now faces tariffs of up to 245% on its imports into the United States as a result of its retaliatory measures.”
This decision comes amid a continuing escalation in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies, which first erupted in 2018. At the beginning of April, the US administration imposed 34% tariffs on some Chinese imports, in addition to the previous 20% tariffs.
In response, Beijing imposed a 34% tariff on US goods, prompting Washington to raise the rate to an additional 50%, bringing the total tariff on Chinese goods to 104%.
Retaliatory measures continued, with China raising tariffs to 84%, and the United States reimposing 125% tariffs on Chinese goods. On April 9, the US president announced a 90-day suspension of additional tariffs on other trading partners—except China—while raising tariffs on China to 125% as part of “reciprocal” measures.
The White House later stated that the total tariffs imposed on China, including those related to the fentanyl crisis, amounted to 145%.
The new decision to raise tariffs to 245% is likely to further escalate tensions between Washington and Beijing, amid warnings of global economic repercussions if the escalation continues without diplomatic solutions.
