Washington (Web Desk): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that significantly increases tariffs on Chinese imports to 245%, citing China’s retaliatory measures as the primary catalyst for this action.
The order, which was signed on April 15, marks a notable escalation in the ongoing trade conflict between the United States (US) and China.
Accompanying the announcement was a White House factsheet that referred to this tariff hike as coming after what the administration described as “Liberation Day,” the day when the first set of tariffs was implemented.
Since that initial move, the White House claims that more than 75 countries have approached the United States to discuss potential new trade agreements.
The document further emphasized that while many countries have engaged in negotiations, China’s response has been to impose retaliatory tariffs, forcing the administration to take what it described as “decisive economic action.”
The White House explained that the increased tariffs are intended to serve both economic and national security goals, with the factsheet stating, “China’s retaliatory actions left us no choice.”
Despite this, economists have consistently raised concerns that such sweeping tariff increases could result in higher consumer prices and disruption to global supply chains.
Critics argue that this approach could alienate the US from its international trade partners and add to existing economic instability.
At the time of publication, there had been no immediate response from Beijing.
Experts suggest that China may choose to challenge the new measure through the World Trade Organization (WTO) or retaliate with its own countermeasures.
The executive order takes effect immediately and will apply to a wide range of Chinese products entering the US More detailed information on the specific industries and products impacted by the tariffs is expected to be released later this week by the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
