50% Tax: Donald Trump Intensifies Pressure On China After Beijing's Response

Donald Trump has escalated trade tensions with China on Monday, April 7, by threatening to impose “additional” tariffs of 50% on Chinese products. This new escalation could take effect as early as April 9, if Beijing does not reverse its decision to retaliate against the American customs offensive. Indeed, China had announced an increase in its own tariffs to 34% on American imports, starting from April 10.

Donald Trump announces an additional tax of 50% on China in case of retaliation!

The situation quickly worsened after the imposition, on Saturday, of a 10% customs tariff on all American imports. This rate is set to increase to 20% for the European Union and 34% for China by Wednesday. Labeled as a “strategic adjustment” by Trump, this measure has been seen as an attack by several economic partners, notably China, which retaliated by also applying taxes of 34% on American products.

In response to Beijing’s retaliation, Donald Trump announced a 50% increase in tariffs on Chinese products. On his Truth Social platform, he labeled China as the “greatest profiteer” and criticized its reaction to a policy he deems just. Trump also specified that he would not accept any meeting requests from Beijing while starting negotiations with other nations considered more cooperative.

What about the European Union?

During the press conference on April 7, 2025, Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Union was ready to negotiate a “zero-for-zero” tariff agreement with the United States. However, Donald Trump rejected any negotiation with Europe, demanding large annual payments before considering any tariff reductions.

The EU labeled this demand as extortion, emphasizing that relations between Europe and the United States are now fractured. In reaction to these statements, European stock markets turned positive again, although the situation remains tense, and NATO could be the next target of tensions.

The trade war between the United States, China, and the European Union continues to intensify global tensions. Donald Trump’s threats and the responses from Beijing and the EU signal a period of difficult negotiations. Markets remain volatile and are still struggling to recover from the $3.25 trillion wiped out in 24 hours.