Trump unleashes 100% tariff strike on China as trade war erupts anew

In a move that has jolted global markets and reignited fears of a prolonged trade standoff, US President Donald Trump on October 10 announced sweeping new measures against China, including an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports and tight export controls on critical American software, effective November 1.

Announcing the decision on Truth Social, Trump accused Beijing of adopting an “extraordinarily aggressive” trade stance and vowed that Washington would respond “firmly and decisively.”

“Starting November 1st, 2025 — or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China — the United States of America will impose a tariff of 100% on China, over and above any tariff that they are currently paying,” Trump declared. “Also on November 1st, we will impose export controls on any and all critical software.”

The announcement marks the most severe escalation in US-China trade tensions since Trump first ignited the tariff war during his previous term. The measures are expected to disrupt global supply chains already strained by geopolitical rivalries and economic uncertainty.

Trump said the move was triggered by reports that Beijing plans to impose large-scale export restrictions across nearly all its products — an action he branded as “a moral disgrace” and “unheard of in international trade.”

“It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the world,” Trump wrote, alleging that Beijing’s plan would “affect all countries, without exception.”

He stressed that Washington’s export control measures would apply strictly to US-made critical software, asserting that the move was part of an American response to “hostile economic acts” rather than a globally coordinated policy.

Tensions spill over diplomacy

In a separate post, Trump hinted he may cancel his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which was set to take place during the APEC summit in South Korea.

“I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” he wrote. “They are becoming very hostile, sending letters to countries throughout the world that they want to impose export controls on each and every element of production having to do with rare earths, and virtually anything else they can think of.”

Trump added that he had not spoken to Xi because “there was no reason to do so,” underscoring how far relations between the two superpowers have deteriorated.

With Washington and Beijing now trading threats of sweeping trade restrictions, economists warn that the global economy could face a new wave of volatility — one that may redefine the balance of power in international commerce.