Trump reduces 10% rates to 90 days to allied countries, but raises to 125% to China, criticizing their posture in global markets
President Donald Trump reduced new tariffs on imports from most US business partners on Wednesday to 10% for 90 days to allow commercial negotiations with these countries. Trump announced the break hours after products from nearly 90 countries are subject to more rigid reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States.
According to CNBC, the president also said in a social media publication that he was increasing the tariffs imposed on imports from China to 125% “with immediate effect” due to the “lack of respect that China demonstrated to world markets.”
China, which is the third largest US commercial partner, said on Wednesday it would increase its tariff for US imports to 84%.
Trump said “more than 75 countries” contacted US officials to negotiate after he revealed his new rates last week.
The stock market indices so markedly triggered on Wednesday with Trump’s announcement, reversing four days of losses. The S&P 500 reference index jumped 7%, which puts it on its way to its biggest gain in a single day in five years.
When questioned later about the reason for his decision, Trump told reporters, “Well, I thought people were dodging the line a little.”
“They were getting nervous, you know, they were getting a little nervous, a little scared,” Trump said in the White House.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett told reporters that Trump always intended to curb the comprehensive tariffs announced by the president last week.
“This was his strategy all the time,” Bessent said in the White House, where authorities, including him, denied the tariffs for days that the tariffs would be suspended.
On April 2, Trump said he would impose a 10% basic rate for import tariffs from over 180 countries.
An import subset from 90 countries would be subject to reciprocal tariffs that came into force on Wednesday. These increased rates ranged from a minimum of 11% to a maximum of 50%.
Financial markets have been turbulence since Trump has announced their plan, with US stock exchanges suffering four consecutive days of fall until Tuesday.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-Ny, criticized Trump on Wednesday, saying that the president “is feeling the pressure of the Democrats and all America about how bad these tariffs are.”
“He’s staggering, it’s back, and that’s a good thing,” said Schumer.
“This is a chaos -based government,” said Schumer. “He changes things day after day. His counselors fight with each other, curse one another, and one cannot rule a country with so much chaos, with such unpredictability, so much lack of understanding of what is happening in the world and the facts.”
Trade Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a tweet that he and the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sat with Trump as he wrote the advertisement on the social truth, “one of his presidency’s most extraordinary posts.”
“The world is ready to work with President Trump to fix global trade, and China has chosen the opposite direction,” Lutnick wrote.
Read Trump’s full announcement about Truth Social:
Based on the lack of respect that China has demonstrated to world markets, I am, through this, increasing the tariff charged from China by the United States of America to 125%, with immediate effect. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of exploitation of the US and other countries are no longer sustainable or acceptable.
Por outro lado, e com base no fato de que mais de 75 países convocaram representantes dos Estados Unidos, incluindo os Departamentos de Comércio, Tesouro e USTR, para negociar uma solução para os assuntos em discussão relativos a Comércio, Barreiras Comerciais, Tarifas, Manipulação Cambial e Tarifas Não Monetárias, e que esses países não retaliaram de forma alguma contra os Estados Unidos, por minha forte sugestão, autorizei uma PAUSA de 90 dias e uma Substantially reduced reciprocal tariff during this period of 10%, also with immediate effect. Thank you for your attention to this subject!
With information from CNBC*
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/04/10/trump-da-tregua-global-e-lanca-ataque-comercial-a-china/
