President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose an additional 50% tariff on all Chinese imports, effective April 9, intensifying an already heated trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
The decision, revealed on Monday, 7 April, 2025 aboard Air Force One, follows China’s refusal to retract its own 34% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, set to begin April 10.
The move threatens to disrupt global supply chains and has sparked sharp reactions from stakeholders worldwide.
“They’ve been ripping us off for years, and now they think they can hit back with their little tariffs? No way,” Trump declared. “If China doesn’t back off by tomorrow, we’re slapping an extra 50% on everything they send us. It’s gonna be huge — believe me, they’ll feel it.”
Trump framed the tariffs as a necessary escalation, adding, “This is an economic revolution, and we will win. Hang tough, folks — it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.”
China’s Ministry of Commerce swiftly condemned the announcement. “The U.S. is escalating a self-defeating trade war that endangers global economic stability,” a spokesperson said, vowing to “fight till the end” with further countermeasures.
Wang Wen, dean of Renmin University’s Chongyang Institute, called Trump’s bluff ineffective, noting, “High tariffs haven’t reduced our trade surplus with the U.S. in seven years — China won’t bend.”
In Europe, EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic warned of collateral damage. “This tit-for-tat spiral risks a global recession,” he said, urging negotiation over escalation.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck added, “U.S. consumers will face Inflation Day, not Liberation Day.”
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, despite her ties to Trump, labelled the move “wrong,” saying on social media, “We’ll work to avoid a trade war that weakens the West.”
U.S. business leaders expressed alarm. Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide Mutual, estimated, “These tariffs could cost American households nearly $1,000 annually.”
Tech giants like Apple, reliant on Chinese manufacturing, saw shares drop 3% as analysts predicted a $2,300 iPhone if costs are passed on.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the policy, telling CBS, “The tariffs are coming, but we’ll see what countries offer.”
Global markets recoiled, with the Dow plunging 800 points and Asian indices convulsing.
Japan’s Trade Minister Yoji Muto called the ripple effects “extremely regrettable,” while India braced for supply chain shocks despite its exemption from the hike.
Economists, including former IMF chief Ken Rogoff, raised recession odds to 50%, underscoring the stakes in Trump’s gamble.
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