Trump imposes staggering 104% tariffs on all Chinese imports, escalating trade war

By lauraharris // 2025-04-15

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President Donald Trump announced a steep 104 percent tariff on all Chinese imports after China refused to reverse its own tariffs on U.S. goods, compounding earlier hikes. The total effective tariff burden on Chinese goods surged from 20.8 percent to nearly 125 percent.
The latest hike includes a 34 percent reciprocal tariff plus a 50 percent increase in response to China's refusal to back down on its 34 percent tariff on American goods. China had already imposed 15-10 percent tariffs on U.S. LNG, coal, crude oil and farm equipment in February.
China retaliated further by restricting exports of gallium, germanium, tungsten and other key minerals, some effective immediately, others (like gallium/germanium) by Aug. 1, threatening global tech supply chains.
Trump also tripled tariffs on Chinese goods under $800, ending duty−free privileges under the "deminimis" rule. Starting May 2, Chinese e−commerce packages (from Shein, Temu and AliExpress) will face $25 to $50 increase per item.
The White House framed the move as retaliation for China's "mistreatment of American workers," vowing not to back down. Analysts warn escalating tariffs could disrupt trade further, with no immediate deal in sight.

President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping 104 percent tariff on all Chinese imports as Beijing refused to reverse its own tariffs on American goods. In February, Trump already imposed 10 percent tariffs on all Chinese goods due to Beijing's role in fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration. The rates doubled to 20 percent in March, and this month, Trump added 34 percent "reciprocal tariffs," compounding with an extra 50 percent hike after China refused to back down on its own 34 percent tariffs on U.S. goods. China implemented retaliatory measures, including a 15 percent tariff on liquefied natural gas and coal, as well as a 10 percent tariff on crude oil, farm equipment and certain large-engine vehicles on Feb. 10. Additionally, China imposed export controls on critical minerals and technologies, restricting shipments of gallium, germanium, tungsten, tellurium, ruthenium and molybdenum. These restrictions – some effective immediately and others, like those on gallium and germanium, starting Aug. 1 – are a direct response to U.S. tariffs and could disrupt global supply chains, particularly in high-tech industries. All this brought the total increase of tariffs to a historic 84 percent overnight. "Countries like China, who have chosen to retaliate and try to double down on their mistreatment of American workers, are making a mistake," Leavitt said on April 8. "President Trump has a spine of steel, and he will not break. The Chinese want to make a deal, they just don't know how to do it." (Related: Trump floats tariff reduction for China to secure TikTok deal.) This, in turn, will push China's average tariff burden to nearly 125 percent, up from the current 20.8 percent.

Trump triples tariff on Chinese goods under $800

Aside from the additional reciprocal tariffs, Trump also signed an executive order a few days earlier, closing a trade loophole that has allowed billions of dollars worth of low-value packages from China and Hong Kong to enter the United States duty-free. The move, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on May 2, tripled tariffs on Chinese goods valued under $800. This eliminates so-called "de minimis" privileges for Chinese and Hong Kong shipments sent outside the international postal network. This means that packages entering through the postal system will face a steep duty rate of 30 percent of the item's value or $25 per item, rising to $50 per item after June 1. The "de minimis" rule, which exempts low-value imports from tariffs, has fueled a surge in direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipments from China, with nearly $1.4 billion packages entering the U.S. duty-free last year. More than 60 percent of these parcels originated in China, dominated by ultra-fast-fashion retailer Shein, e-commerce giant Temu and AliExpress, which have thrived under the loophole. Trump initially moved to revoke the exemption in February but paused the order due to logistical challenges in inspecting the flood of small packages. Head over to Trump.news for related news. Trump should put the tariffs on immediately, expert says. Watch this video.

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Trump triples tariff on Chinese goods under $800

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