U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 9th (local time) regarding the tariffs on Chinese imports raised to 125% that he has "no intention of raising them further." Amid a sharp rebound in the stock market following the mutual tariff suspension measures recently implemented by the United States, President Trump emphasized his confidence in the domestic economy and reiterated his willingness to negotiate with China.
During a signing ceremony for an executive order held in the Oval Office that day, President Trump responded to a question about whether he plans to further raise tariffs on China by stating, "I don't think it's necessary. I can't imagine that."
He mentioned regarding the possibility of meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying, "Of course, I will meet him, as he is my friend, and I like and respect him." However, he added, "China has a lot to do."
Regarding the recent sale issue of the Chinese social media platform TikTok, he noted, "China is not easily accepting it," adding, "Currently, we are in negotiations with some wealthy corporations." He said, "I believe China will ultimately accept that transaction," and emphasized, "The sale of TikTok is still on the table."
President Trump explained that he came to the conclusion this morning after "thinking for a few days" about the decision to suspend mutual tariffs for 90 days on all countries except China and to apply only a basic tariff of 10%. He continued, "There has been a record bounce-back in the stock market. I am very satisfied," highlighting the positive effects of the suspension measures.
Regarding some points raised about the tariffs causing the recent market crash, he dismissed it as "structural issues beyond tariffs." He argued, "The market has been sick for already four weeks, and trade has been the same," claiming, "Tariffs only exacerbated the situation."
President Trump also clearly expressed his opposition to the acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, stating, "U.S. Steel is a special company, and we do not want it to go to a foreign entity."
Regarding the reason for imposing additional tariffs only on China, he explained, "The European Union (EU) threatened retaliation but did not actually implement it. In contrast, China has taken retaliatory measures." President Trump added, "All countries are at the negotiation table," and mentioned, "Sometimes it is not a negotiation until it is negotiated."
Meanwhile, Secretary of Commerce Howard Ratnick spoke with reporters after the signing ceremony, responding to a question about whether the 90-day suspension measures aim to create an international alliance against China by saying, "The President is focused solely on the United States." He assessed that the EU might respond in a way corresponding to the U.S. suspension measures, while Mexico is approaching with a restrained and pragmatic attitude.