1 day ago
Last Updated:April 18, 2025, 09:04 IST
Donald Trump has signalled putting an end to the tit-for-tat moves between the US and China, saying that at a certain point, "people aren't gonna buy".
US President Donald Trump signals end to tit-for-tat on tariffs with China (Reuters Image)
US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) hinted at an end to the tit-for-tat escalation of tariffs with China, that went as high as 245% on imports from the Asian rival nation this week, and said that he does not want them to “go higher" as consumers won’t buy products “at a certain point".
He also said that a deal over the fate of TikTok may have to wait.
“I don’t want them to go higher because at a certain point you make it where people don’t buy," Trump told reporters at the White House.
“So, I may not want to go higher, or I may not want to even go up to that level. I may want to go to less because you know you want people to buy, and, at a certain point, people aren’t gonna buy," he added.
His remarks also signalled his lessening interest in slapping higher tariffs on countries after the stock markets crashed globally when he announced the reciprocal tariffs on April 2 on several nations, including India. However, within days, he put them on a 90-day pause and imposed a baseline tariff of 10% on most goods imported into the US.
However, he made an exception to China and initially imposed 145% tariffs in total, prompting Beijing to retaliate. Owing to China’s retaliation, Washington revised the tariffs on China to 245%, drawing sharp reaction from China.
“More than 75 countries have already reached out to discuss new trade deals. As a result, the individualized higher tariffs are currently paused amid these discussions, except for China, which retaliated. China now faces up to a 245% tariff on imports to the United States as a result of its retaliatory actions," the White House Fact Sheet said on Tuesday (local time).
Reacting to the hike in tariffs, the Chinese foreign ministry said that Beijing does not seek confrontation with Washington and stressed that it would not remain silent. China, however, also noted that it is open to talks if Trump shows respect.
Trump said that China has been in touch since the imposition of tariffs and hoped that both countries could negotiate a trade deal.
Sources told Reuters that while the two nations have been in touch, free-flowing and high-level talks in this regard that would make swift negotiations possible have largely been missing.
In his interaction with the reporters, Trump repeatedly declined to clarify the nature of the discussions between Washington and Beijing or if Chinese President Xi Jinping was involved in the talks.
(With Reuters inputs)
Location :Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:April 18, 2025, 08:14 IST
News world 'People Won't Buy At A Point': Trump Hints To End Tit-For-Tat Tariff War With China
