"It was a mistake for China to retaliate."
Trump tariffs live updates: 104% tariff rate on China to go into effect Wednesday
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, April 8, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump's severe tariffs against virtually all U.S. trading partners are set to take effect on Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. ET.
Among his sweeping new trade moves is a hefty 104% tariff rate on China.
Trump has described the tariffs as "reciprocal," saying the steep toll will correct a grievance he's held for "35 years:" that the U.S. is being "ripped off" by trade imbalances.
The president has claimed the tariffs will prompt countries to try to negotiate a deal with the U.S., boosting the economy, while the immediate fallout from his tariffs announcement has seen major losses in the stock market.
eilif_myrhe on April 8th, 2025 at 19:28 UTC »
If Trump essentially blocks all direct trade with China with insanely high tariffs, does it makes it more likely for China to try to take Taiwan? After all one of the painful consequences of that war would already be done.
HotelPuzzleheaded654 on April 8th, 2025 at 18:59 UTC »
Tariffs cannot simultaneously be a negotiating tool and onshore manufacturing, it’s one or the other.
How is anyone supposed to respond to any of this when it’s not even clear what the US wants beyond balancing trade deficits which economically means nothing?
They’ve slapped something like a 60% tariff on Lesotho because the US buys diamonds from there.
How are the poor people of Lesotho supposed to buy enough American goods to balance that deficit?
This whole thing is unbelievably stupid and embarrassing that no one in MAGA land is man enough to call the stupidity out.
AndroidOne1 on April 8th, 2025 at 18:46 UTC »
Snippet from this news update: “Trump's 104% tariff rate on China to go into effect early Wednesday White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that Trump's threatened additional 50% tariff on China will go into effect early Wednesday, bringing the total tariff rate against Beijing to 104%. "They will be going into effect at 12:01 a.m.," she said. "It was a mistake for China to retaliate. The president, when America is punched, he punches back harder," Leavitt said. She added Trump believes China "wants to make a deal" but doesn't know where to start.