By Obinna Uballa
President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new trade measures against China, declaring that the United States will impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports, on top of the existing 30%, starting November 1 or sooner.
The move marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between Washington and Beijing, effectively reviving the trade war that had cooled after months of uneasy truce.
“The United States of America will impose a tariff of 100% on China, over and above any tariff that they are currently paying,” Trump said Friday afternoon in a Truth Social post, as reported by CNN. “Also on November 1st, we will impose export controls on any and all critical software.”
The new tariffs target key categories such as electronics, apparel, and furniture — sectors that account for a large share of U.S. imports from China.
Trump’s decision follows Beijing’s recent move to tighten export controls on rare earth minerals, vital to the production of semiconductors and other high-tech components.
In a related development, Trump reportedly called off a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that was to take place later this month in South Korea, signalling a breakdown in high-level diplomacy between the world’s two largest economies.
Markets reacted sharply to the announcement, with investors fearing a return to the kind of tariff battles that previously sent global trade into turmoil. Analysts recalled the spring of 2019, when tariff hikes on Chinese goods reached as high as 145%, triggering widespread market volatility.
Analysts say the new measures underscore Trump’s hardline stance on China as his administration continues to prioritise economic nationalism and technology security ahead of next year’s presidential election.
