U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would raise the tariff rate against China, which retaliated with tariffs, to 125%. In contrast, he stated that for the 75 countries that did not retaliate against the U.S., the imposition of reciprocal tariffs would be suspended for 90 days, and the basic tariff rate would also be reduced.
On the 9th (local time), President Trump posted on his social media platform "Truth Social," stating, "I will immediately raise tariffs on China to 125%," adding, "This is due to the lack of respect that China has shown in the global market."
He argued, "In the near future, China will realize that the era of exploiting the United States and other countries is no longer sustainable or acceptable."
In contrast, President Trump noted, "More than 75 countries want to negotiate with the United States on various topics such as trade, tariffs, currency manipulation, and non-tariff barriers, and these countries have not taken any retaliatory measures," adding, "Accordingly, we have decided to suspend the imposition of reciprocal tariffs for 90 days and significantly reduce the basic tariff rate of 10%."
This measure is interpreted as a strategy to strengthen U.S. pressure on China while also guiding negotiations with countries that have expressed a willingness to lower trade barriers.