Trump slaps 104% tariffs on all Chinese imports Trade war reloads

U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed a sweeping 104% tariff on all Chinese imports, dramatically escalating tensions in an already fraught U.S.-China trade standoff.

The announcement was made on April 8 evening by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, marking one of the most aggressive moves in U.S. trade policy history, Caliber.Az reports, citing American media.

The massive increase in levies comes atop preexisting tariffs that had already been set to rise by 34% on April 9 under Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” agenda. According to Leavitt, the president added an additional 50% in duties after Beijing refused to reverse its planned 34% retaliatory tariffs on American exports—bringing the total new tariff burden to 84% beyond the initial hike.

“Countries like China, who have chosen to retaliate and try to double down on their mistreatment of American workers, are making a mistake,” Leavitt told reporters on April 8. “President Trump has a spine of steel, and he will not break.”

Beijing swiftly condemned the move. In a statement released by China’s Commerce Ministry earlier in the day, officials called the additional 50% hike “a mistake upon a mistake” and vowed further retaliation, deepening fears of a full-blown trade war.

In a further blow to Chinese exporters and American consumers, Trump signed an executive order on April 8, tripling tariffs on low-value shipments under $800 from China—items previously exempt under the “de minimis” rule. The new 90% tariff rate, up from an earlier planned 30%, is set to hit by May 2 and will directly affect purchases from popular online retailers such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress.

"The Chinese want to make a deal—they just don’t know how to do it," Leavitt said, declining to specify what terms the president would accept in exchange for lowering tariffs.

Trump’s tariff strategy began in February with a blanket 10% levy on all Chinese goods, citing the country’s alleged role in enabling illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking. Last month, that rate was doubled, and with the April 8 announcement, the administration has more than quadrupled the original figure.

Meanwhile, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller asserted that China represents a destabilizing force in global trade.

“China is the destabilizing force here for the entire system of global trade. And everyone's put up with it,” he stated.

“The true trade deficit with China is a trillion dollars a year, because China is shipping all of its goods through other countries like Vietnam, like Cambodia, like Thailand. But also, it's sending its supply components through the EU as well,” Miller added.

China remains the second-largest source of U.S. imports, supplying $439 billion worth of goods last year. The U.S. exported $144 billion to China over the same period. Economists warn that the rapidly escalating tit-for-tat measures are likely to drive up prices for consumers, strain domestic industries, and trigger layoffs across multiple sectors.

By Khagan Isayev