8 hours ago
Last Updated:April 16, 2025, 07:22 IST
The Trump administration plans to use tariff negotiations to pressure over 70 nations to limit their dealings with China, aiming to prevent Chinese firms from avoiding U.S. tariffs.
US President Donald Trump (IMAGE: REUTERS File)
After imposing 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, US President Donald Trump’s administration may request over 70 nations to prevent China from shipping goods through their countries and to disallow Chinese firms from operating within their territories to avoid US tariffs. This move is seen as an attempt to isolate China, which has emerged as the world’s second largest economy, challenging US dominance.
The Wall Street Journal, citing individuals familiar with the discussions, reported that the Trump administration plans to use ongoing tariff negotiations to pressure US trading partners to limit their interactions with China.
The goal behind these negotiations is to secure commitments from US trading partners to isolate China’s economy in exchange for reductions in trade and tariff barriers imposed by the White House. These measures aim to weaken China’s already fragile economy and force Beijing to negotiate with less leverage ahead of potential talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The specific demands could vary significantly by nation, depending on their level of involvement with the Chinese economy, the reported added.
The White House and Treasury have yet to respond to the Wall Street Journal’s report.
However, China is backing down from the fight either and imposed 125% tariffs on all imports from the US. Without naming Trump or the US, China’s President Xi Jinping has recently liked the reciprocal tariffs as “unilateral bullying" and said there is no winner in this war.
While the tariffs are in place for China, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he still had hope for a major trade deal with Beijing, adding it would require a formula far different from trade and currency deals of the past.
The White House has also said “the ball is in China’s court", leaving space for a possible deal in the near future.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “The ball is in China’s court…China needs to deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them. There’s no difference between China and any other country, except they (China) are much larger."
While the most of the countries got a temporary 90-day reprieve for not retaliating against Trump’s tariffs, Chinese goods are still facing 145% tariffs from the US.
(with inputs from agencies)
Location :Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:April 16, 2025, 06:55 IST
News world US Plans To Use Tariff Negotiations To Isolate China: Report
