Trump Threatens China With 155% Tariffs Despite Claiming He Wants Friendship – Is He Really Trying To Be ‘Nice’ With Beijing? | World News

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump announced that the US will impose a 155 percent customs duty on Chinese imports as of November 1. He said he wanted to maintain friendly relations with Beijing but stressed that years of unilateral trade left no other option.

“Right now, as of November 1, there will be about 155 per cent tariffs on China. I don’t think this is sustainable for them. I want to be nice to China. But China has been very rude to us over the years because we had presidents who were not business smart… They allowed China and all other countries to take advantage of us,” he told ANI.

The US president emphasized that customs duties serve as a tool for “national security”, drawing attention to his previous trade agreements with the European Union, Japan and South Korea.

“Hundreds of billions, even trillions of dollars are being paid to the United States… We will start paying off our debts,” he added.

His announcement marks a broad escalation of Russia’s so-called “secondary tariff” strategy, which targets countries that indirectly aid the war effort in Ukraine through energy trade. China, the world’s largest importer of Russian crude oil, faces these drastic measures just days after Trump announced additional 100 percent tariffs “over and above any tariffs they currently pay” effective November 1.

Trump also announced that export controls will cover all critical software starting from the same date. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only on behalf of the United States, starting November 1, 2025, the United States will impose 100% Tariffs on China beyond any Tariffs they currently pay. We will also impose Export Controls on all critical software on November 1.”

He added that China’s move to send “a highly hostile letter to the world” demanding export controls on a wide range of products was “absolutely unheard of in International Trade and a moral disgrace in relations with other Nations.”

Despite his tough stance, Trump expressed optimism about the upcoming high-level talks. Speaking at the Senate Republicans luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House, Trump said, “I will see President Xi in two weeks. I am going to South Korea. We will meet in South Korea. We will talk about many things.”

Trump emphasized that he was aware of China’s high customs duties: “They want to discuss the fact that they are paying a 157 percent customs duty. It is a little higher than they thought. We are doing very well. I think we will do good things in this negotiation.”

It reminded him of the 55 percent tariffs China currently pays. “Many countries have benefited from the United States and they no longer benefit from it. China is paying 55 percent and a potential 155 percent will come on November 1 if we don’t make a deal,” Trump said.

The move underscores the US strategy of combining pressure and diplomacy, using tariffs as both punishment and bargaining tools as Trump prepares for talks with Xi Jinping.