China has imposed a 34% tariff on US goods as a trade war begins across the world after Donald Trump‘s “liberation day” speech.
From the White House Rose Garden, Trump declared April 2, 2025, as a turning point in U.S. trade history.
“This is Liberation Day,” he said. “We’ve been waiting for a long time. April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to ‘Make America Wealthy Again’.”
He accused countries of decades of trade abuse, saying: “For decades our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered from nations, near and far, from both friend and foe alike.”
A blanket 10% tariff was slapped on most imports — but it didn’t stop there. Dozens of countries labeled “worst offenders” are facing even steeper charges, with some duties reaching as high as 54%. That includes China, which Trump targeted with one of the biggest tariff hikes.
“They do it to us, and we do it to them. Doesn’t get much simpler than that,” he said.
Markets reacted immediately. London’s FTSE 100 dropped 26.32 points to close at 8,608.48, while Asian stocks tumbled overnight.
Economists are already warning the fallout will be brutal for consumers and businesses alike.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen didn’t hold back in her response, calling it a “major blow to the world economy” and warning: “The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe.”
She added: “This is hurting, in particular, the most vulnerable citizens,” citing rising costs for essentials like groceries, transport, and medicine.
In response to Trump’s massive 54% tariff, China is punching back with a new 34% tariff on U.S. goods, effective April 10.
Beijing’s finance ministry blasted the U.S. move, saying it violates international trade law. “The US tariffs on Chinese products are not in line with international trade rules,” the ministry said, according to BBC News.
A spokesperson from China’s commerce ministry added: “It is a typical unilateral bullying practice that endangers the stability of the global economic and trade order. China firmly opposes this.”
The spokesperson claimed Trump’s measures “seriously violate WTO rules,” “damage the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members,” and “undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system.”
China has also filed an official complaint with the World Trade Organization and announced new export controls on rare earth elements — critical materials used in tech products like smartphones, electric vehicles, and computer chips.
The full list of tariffs:
- China: 34% (Rising to 54% with other tariffs)
- European Union: 20%
- Vietnam: 46%
- Taiwan: 32%
- Japan: 24%
- India: 26%
- South Korea: 25%
- Thailand: 36%
- Switzerland: 31%
- Indonesia: 32%
- Malaysia: 24%
- Cambodia: 49%
- United Kingdom: 10%
- South Africa: 30%
- Brazil: 10%
- Bangladesh: 37%
- Singapore: 10%
- Israel: 17%
- Philippines: 17%
- Chile: 10%
- Australia: 10%
- Pakistan: 29%
- Turkey: 10%
- Sri Lanka: 44%
- Colombia: 10%
- Peru: 10%
- Nicaragua: 18%
- Norway: 15%
- Costa Rica: 10%
- Jordan: 20%
- Dominican Republic: 10%
- United Arab Emirates: 10%
- New Zealand: 10%
- Argentina: 10%
- Ecuador: 10%
- Guatemala: 10%
- Honduras: 10%
- Madagascar: 47%
- Myanmar: 44%
- Tunisia: 28%
- Kazakhstan: 27%
- Serbia: 37%
- Egypt: 10%
- Saudi Arabia: 10%
- El Salvador: 10%
- Côte d’Ivoire: 21%
- Laos: 48%
- Botswana: 37%
- Trinidad and Tobago: 10%
- Morocco: 10%
- Algeria: 30%
- Oman: 10%
- Uruguay: 10%
- Bahamas: 10%
- Lesotho: 50%
- Ukraine: 10%
- Bahrain: 10%
- Qatar: 10%
- Mauritius: 40%
- Fiji: 32%
- Iceland: 10%
- Kenya: 10%
- Liechtenstein: 37%
- Guyana: 38%
- Haiti: 10%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: 35%
- Nigeria: 14%
- Namibia: 21%
- Brunei: 24%
- Bolivia: 10%
- Panama: 10%
- Venezuela: 15%
- North Macedonia: 33%
- Ethiopia: 10%
- Ghana: 10%
- Moldova: 31%
- Angola: 32%
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: 11%
- Jamaica: 10%
- Mozambique: 16%
- Paraguay: 10%
- Zambia: 17%
- Lebanon: 10%
- Tanzania: 10%
- Iraq: 39%
- Georgia: 10%
- Senegal: 10%
- Azerbaijan: 10%
- Cameroon: 11%
- Uganda: 10%
- Albania: 10%
- Armenia: 10%
- Nepal: 10%
- Sint Maarten: 10%
- Falkland Islands: 41%
- Gabon: 10%
- Kuwait: 10%
- Togo: 10%
- Suriname: 10%
- Belize: 10%
- Papua New Guinea: 10%
- Malawi: 17%
- Liberia: 10%
- British Virgin Islands: 10%
- Afghanistan: 10%
- Zimbabwe: 18%
- Benin: 10%
- Barbados: 10%
- Monaco: 10%
- Syria: 41%
- Uzbekistan: 10%
- Republic of the Congo: 10%
- Djibouti: 10%
- French Polynesia: 10%
- Cayman Islands: 10%
- Kosovo: 10%
- Curaçao: 10%
- Vanuatu: 22%
- Rwanda: 10%
- Sierra Leone: 10%
- Mongolia: 10%
- San Marino: 10%
- Antigua and Barbuda: 10%
- Bermuda: 10%
- Eswatini: 10%
- Marshall Islands: 10%
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 50%
- Saint Kitts and Nevis: 10%
- Turkmenistan: 10%
- Grenada: 10%
- Sudan: 10%
- Turks and Caicos Islands: 10%
- Aruba: 10%
- Montenegro: 10%
- Saint Helena: 10%
- Kyrgyzstan: 10%
- Yemen: 10%
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 10%
- Niger: 10%
- Saint Lucia: 10%
- Nauru: 30%
- Equatorial Guinea: 13%
- Iran: 10%
- Libya: 31%
- Samoa: 10%
- Guinea: 10%
- Timor-Leste: 10%
- Montserrat: 10%
- Chad: 13%
- Mali: 10%
- Maldives: 10%
- Tajikistan: 10%
- Cabo Verde: 10%
- Burundi: 10%
- Guadeloupe: 10%
- Bhutan: 10%
- Martinique: 10%
- Tonga: 10%
- Mauritania: 10%
- Dominica: 10%
- Micronesia: 10%
- Gambia: 10%
- French Guiana: 10%
- Christmas Island: 10%
- Andorra: 10%
- Central African Republic: 10%
- Solomon Islands: 10%
- Mayotte: 10%
- Anguilla: 10%
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands: 10%
- Eritrea: 10%
- Cook Islands: 10%
- South Sudan: 10%
- Comoros: 10%
- Kiribati: 10%
- São Tomé and Príncipe: 10%
- Norfolk Island: 29%
- Gibraltar: 10%
- Tuvalu: 10%
- British Indian Ocean Territory: 10%
- Tokelau: 10%
- Guinea-Bissau: 10%
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen: 10%
- Heard and McDonald Islands: 10% (these are uninhabited)
- Réunion: 37%
