Trump pauses most reciprocal tariffs, raises China levy
President Trump is giving a 90-day break on the new global tariffs he recently instituted, with one notable exception.
In an April 9 post on his social network Truth Social, Trump announced that the reciprocal tariffs he placed on imports from most countries on April 2 will be paused for 90 days. However, the temporary stay on global tariffs comes with a big asterisk.
"Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the world’s markets, I am hereby raising the tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately," Trump said in the post.
Trump also said that other countries which had reciprocal tariffs placed on them will have their tariff rates reduced to 10% during the 90-day pause period.
While Trump said 75 countries which had reciprocal tariffs placed on them have contacted the U.S. government to negotiate trade, China has so far responded by imposing an 84% tariff on imported U.S. goods and publicly stated it is prepared to engage in a long-term trade struggle with the U.S.
U.S. tariff policy – a review
On Feb. 13, 2025, President Trump announced a plan to apply reciprocal tariffs on imports that equal any tariffs or other levies put on those products from the U.S. by other countries as of Wednesday, Apr. 2, 2025.
That plan, which initially went into effect Saturday, Apr. 5. placed a baseline 10% tariff on all goods being imported to the U.S. from other countries, as well as 25% tariff on all imported automobiles.
The 10% baseline did not apply to Canada and Mexico, which are already paying a 25% levy on products they import to the U.S.
[READ MORE: Trump's tariffs on Canada, China, Mexico take effect — countries respond]
In addition, 60 countries which charge higher duties on U.S. imports had higher tariffs imposed on their goods coming into the country. Most were set at what Trump called a "discount" of roughly half the tariff rate they charge on U.S. goods, although some trade experts said he used a faulty formula to determine global tariff rates.
Examples include:
- China – 34% import tariff (now 104%), 67% tariff charged on U.S. goods.
- European Union – 20% import tariff, 39% tariff charged on U.S. goods.
- Vietnam – 46% import tariff, 90% tariff charged on U.S. goods.
- Taiwan – 32% import tariff, 64% tariff charged on U.S. goods.
- Japan – 26% import tariff, 52% tariff charged on U.S. goods.
- India – 26% import tariff, 52% tariff charged on U.S. goods.
- South Korea – 25% import tariff, 50% tariff charged on U.S. goods.
These tariffs built on a series of executive orders issued March 4, 2025, in which Trump enacted a 25% tariff on nearly all goods coming to the U.S. from Canada and all products being imported from Mexico. The president also doubled the tariff he imposed the previous month on Chinese products to 20%.
In total, the U.S. does about $1.6 trillion in annual business with the China, Mexico and Canada, which account for more than a third of the goods and services that are imported to or bought from the United States and are this country's largest trading partners.
In other tariff-related developments, the Trump Administration has excluded shipments from China from the de minimis exception, which exempts imported shipments with an aggregate value of less than $800 from having to pay tariffs.
