U.S. President Donald Trump has announced sweeping plans to impose an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, marking a major escalation in trade tensions between the two global powers.
The new tariffs, set to take effect on November 1, will be added to the existing 30% duties, effectively bringing the total tariff rate on Chinese goods to 130%.
Trump said the move was in retaliation to China’s newly expanded export controls on rare earth elements—materials critical to high-tech manufacturing, including electronics, defense systems, and electric vehicles.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president accused Beijing of adopting an “extraordinarily aggressive position on trade,” referencing what he described as a “hostile letter” from China announcing the new export measures.
“It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade… imposing large-scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make,” Trump wrote, calling the move “a moral disgrace in dealing with other nations.”
The White House clarified that the tariffs could be implemented sooner than November 1, depending on “any further actions” by China.
The announcement threatens to reignite a trade war that had cooled following months of negotiations earlier this year.
Adding to the tension, Trump hinted at the possible cancellation of his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, originally slated for later this month. While he later clarified that the meeting had not been officially canceled, he admitted its status was uncertain.
“No, I haven’t canceled, but I don’t know that we’re gonna have it,” Trump told reporters.
China, which dominates the global market for rare earths, has yet to issue an official response to Trump’s tariff declaration.
