Trump says he wants to be "nice" to China, but slaps 155% tariffs from Nov 1

By Reena Bhardwaj
Washington DC [US], October 22 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) stated that Washington would continue with their plans to impose a 155 per cent tariff on Chinese goods imported into the US beginning November 1, despite expressing his desire to maintain amicable ties with Beijing.
Responding to a question by ANI if tariffs would be considered on China, as it is still Russia's largest oil importer, the US President said, "Right now, as of November 1st, China will have about 155 per cent tariffs put on it. I don't think it's sustainable for them."
Trump said while he personally wishes to maintain friendly relations with China, years of one-sided economic dealings have left the US with no choice but to take firm action.
"I want to be nice to China. But China has been very rough with us over the years because we had presidents that weren't smart from a business standpoint... They allowed China and every other country to take advantage of us," Trump added.
The US President noted that his earlier trade deals with the European Union, Japan and South Korea were built on tariffs, which he considers a tool for "national security".
"I made a deal with the European Union. I made a deal with Japan and South Korea. A lot of these deals are great deals. It's about national security. I was able to do it because of tariffs. We're getting hundreds of billions, even trillions, of dollars paid into the United States... We'll start paying off debt," Trump added.
Trump's announcement underscores the intensifying "secondary tariff" strategy that Washington is deploying against countries perceived to be indirectly aiding Russia's war efforts in Ukraine through its energy trade.
While previous measures targeted India, where a 50 per cent tariff was imposed for Russian oil imports, this move conveys a broader escalation toward China, the world's largest importer of Russian crude.
Earlier, also Trump, in a post on Truth Social, announced an additional 100 per cent tariff on Chinese goods "over and above any tariff that they are currently paying", effective November 1.
The US President noted that the decision was taken after what he described as China taking "an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade" by sending "an extremely hostile letter to the world".
He also said that export controls will be placed on all critical software starting the same day.
"Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the USA, and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1, 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. Also on November 1, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software," his post read.
"It has just been learnt that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the world, stating that they were going to, effective November 1, 2025, impose large-scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them. This affects ALL Countries, without exception, and was obviously a plan devised by them years ago. It is absolutely unheard of in International Trade, and a moral disgrace in dealing with other Nations," it added. (ANI)