United States President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday (local time) that Washington would go ahead with a sweeping 155 per cent tariff on Chinese imports, set to take effect from 1 November 2025. The move, he said, aims to correct what he described as years of “unfair and one-sided” trade practices by Beijing.

Responding to questions from reporters, including one from ANI, President Trump stated that while he personally wished to preserve friendly ties with China, the United States could no longer tolerate economic imbalance. “Right now, as of November 1st, China will have about 155 per cent tariffs put on it. I don’t think it’s sustainable for them,” he noted, adding that China had historically benefitted from previous U.S. administrations' weak trade policies.

Trump remarked that his predecessors had failed to safeguard American economic interests, allowing China and other nations to exploit the U.S. market. “I want to be nice to China. But China has been very rough with us over the years because we had presidents that weren’t smart from a business standpoint,” he stated. He emphasised that American leadership now prioritised economic sovereignty and industrial resilience.

Highlighting his earlier trade negotiations, Trump pointed out that successful deals with the European Union, Japan, and South Korea were achieved through the strategic use of tariffs. “It’s about national security,” he said. “We’re getting hundreds of billions, even trillions, of dollars paid into the United States... We’ll start paying off debt.” This reflects Washington’s growing alignment of trade measures with national defence objectives.

The President’s comments came amid increasing scrutiny of China’s continued energy trade with Russia, which remains Moscow’s largest oil export market. The administration’s latest economic measures represent an extension of its “secondary tariff” policy, targeting countries accused of indirectly supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. India faced a similar though smaller measure earlier, with a 50 per cent tariff applied over imports linked to Russian oil.

On his Truth Social platform, President Trump reiterated that from 1 November, an additional 100 per cent tariff would be imposed on Chinese goods—over and above existing duties. He said the decision followed what he termed “an extraordinarily aggressive position” by Beijing, which had recently circulated what he called “an extremely hostile letter to the world”.

Trump revealed that starting the same day, the U.S. would also enforce export controls on all “critical software”, preventing American technology from being exploited by adversarial states. “Based on China’s actions, starting November 1, 2025, or sooner, the United States will impose a tariff of 100 per cent over existing rates. Also, we will impose export controls on all critical software,” he wrote.

According to the President, Beijing had warned that it would impose extensive export controls affecting nearly every product category, including some it does not manufacture. Calling the move “a moral disgrace in international trade,” Trump said such actions revealed a long-prepared plan by China to disrupt global supply chains and strengthen its trade leverage.

The announcement signals a new chapter in the ongoing U.S.–China trade conflict, with Washington taking a markedly harder stance against what it views as Beijing’s aggressive economic expansionism. Analysts believe the measure is likely to strain global markets, though Trump’s administration has justified it as essential for restoring industrial balance and protecting U.S. national interests.

Based On ANI Report