WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 9, 2025 — The United States' country-specific reciprocal tariffs officially came into effect today, impacting trade relations with multiple nations and significantly escalating the tariff war with China.
The 10 percent baseline reciprocal tariffs—part of a broader trade policy rollout—were implemented on April 5 for several countries, including Turkey, Brazil, the UK, and Australia. These tariffs are part of a new U.S. strategy to “restore economic fairness,” according to an earlier White House statement.
Previously, on April 2, the U.S. had announced sharper tariff hikes targeting key partners:
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34% tariff on China
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20% on the European Union
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46% on Vietnam
Mexico and Canada—America’s two largest trade partners—were notably excluded from the action.
In response to the U.S. measures, China announced retaliatory tariffs of 34% on all imports from the U.S., effective April 10. However, President Donald Trump responded with a warning, threatening to impose an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports if Beijing followed through.
Today, the White House confirmed that the reciprocal tariff on China has been revised from 34% to 84%, and when combined with the existing 20% tariff, the total “stacked” tariff rate now stands at 104% on Chinese goods entering the U.S.
In turn, China’s State Council Tariff Commission has declared it will move forward with its own additional 50% tariff on all U.S. imports starting April 10, bringing China’s total tariffs on U.S. goods to 84%.
Amid the mounting trade conflict, China has filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO). A spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce said the U.S. actions "seriously violate WTO rules" and described the new tariffs as a “compounding error” driven by unilateral and bullying behavior.
“China will firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests in accordance with WTO rules,” the spokesperson stated, vowing to safeguard the multilateral trade system.
With tensions rising on both sides, the latest tariffs mark a significant escalation in the U.S.–China trade dispute and could trigger further economic repercussions across global markets.
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