Trump Imposes 104% Tariff on China, White House Declares “America Will Not Break”

Washington DC, April 9, 2025: In a dramatic escalation of trade tensions, the White House on Tuesday announced that the United States will impose a 104% tariff on Chinese goods starting Wednesday. The move comes amid a deepening rift between the world’s two largest economies, following a tit-for-tat series of tariff hikes.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a press briefing, defended the decision as a necessary response to China’s recent retaliatory tariffs. “It was a mistake for China to retaliate. When America is punched, he punches back harder,” Leavitt said, referring to President Donald Trump’s stance. “That’s why there will be 104 per cent tariffs going into effect on China tonight. If China reaches out to make a deal, he will be incredibly gracious.”

Leavitt stressed that the tariffs reflect the Trump administration’s push to end what it considers unfair trade practices by China—practices that have, according to the White House, contributed to job losses and economic decline across American manufacturing communities.

“President Trump made it very clear that the era of American economic surrender is over,” she said. “He will not allow American workers to be ripped off by foolish trade practices that hollow out our towns.”

Reiterating the administration’s hardline stance, Leavitt confirmed that there were no plans to extend or delay the tariffs. However, she added, “President Trump is willing to pick up the phone and talk.” She claimed nearly 70 countries had reached out since the “Liberation Day” announcement on April 2, showing openness to renegotiating trade terms.

The Trump administration also signaled a shift toward crafting custom trade agreements. Leavitt said the president had instructed his trade team to pursue “tailor-made trade deals” with every country seeking new terms.

Leavitt explained that the tariff policy considers not only monetary barriers but also non-monetary obstacles to US exports. “The reciprocal tariff rates were based not just on the duties those countries place on the US, but also on non-monetary trade barriers,” she said.

This latest move follows President Trump’s Sunday threat to impose an additional 50% tariff if China failed to roll back its 34% retaliatory hike. In response, China’s Commerce Ministry condemned the move as “groundless” and labeled it “unilateral bullying.”

With this, the global economic order braces for more turbulence as Washington and Beijing lock horns once again—this time, under even heavier tariff fire.