The U.S. White House specified that it would impose tariffs of up to 245% on imports from China. This figure is much higher than the previously announced tariff rate of 145% on Chinese goods. In response, China expressed its position, calling it 'a ridiculous matter.'
On the 15th (local time), the White House revealed through a fact sheet on its website that 'as a result of retaliatory measures, China is facing a tariff of up to 245% on U.S. imports.' This is a 100 percentage point increase from the '145%' announced on the 10th.
In this context, U.S. media report that the 'up to 245%' tariff rate posted by the White House likely includes existing tariffs that have been imposed since the beginning of former President Donald Trump's second administration and may apply to only certain items.
The New York Times (NYT) recently mentioned the tariffs on syringes imposed prior to 2025 in an analysis article about Trump's tariffs. It noted that in September during the Biden administration, the U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 100% on syringes and needles, which when combined with the reciprocal tariff (145%) resulted in the figure of 245%.
On the same day, Chinese media reacted cynically to the White House's announcement, calling it 'a ridiculous matter.'
Nutangqin, a social media account associated with Xinhua News Agency, pointed out on Weibo on the 16th that the White House's post was 'just a play on words.'
Nutangqin stated, 'The U.S. continues to raise tariffs, but this is just a numbers game,' adding that 'China will ignore this.'
Earlier, the China State Council announced a plan to raise tariffs on U.S. imports from 84% to 125%, stating, 'No matter how high the U.S. raises tariffs in the future, it will have no economic meaning and will become a laughing stock in the history of the global economy.' It seems that this position has been reaffirmed.
Meanwhile, the White House did not provide any further explanation regarding the tariff rate of 245%.