U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause on his sweeping tariffs targeting dozens of countries only days after they took effect.
But the truce doesn’t extend to China. Instead, Trump raised duties on Chinese imports to 125 percent, effective immediately, citing Beijing’s “lack of respect” for global markets.
The announcement followed the economic shock triggered on April 2, when Trump’s retaliatory tariffs, unveiled on what he dubbed “Liberation Day’” sent tremors through the global economy.
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The United States had slapped baseline 10 percent levies on all imports, with some African nations hit even harder. Countries like Lesotho faced tariffs as high as 50 percent and Nigeria was hit with 14 percent, stirring fears of a full-blown trade war.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that more than 75 countries had reached out to “discuss” trade barriers with Washington following the midnight rollout.
Their response, he said, prompted the temporary reprieve.
“We are pausing tariffs for 90 days for those who want to work with us,” he wrote.
The pause applies to countries that did not retaliate, but not to China, which has clapped back at Trump’s measures.
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As a result, the president said, tariffs on Chinese goods would climb dramatically, reinforcing his administration’s increasingly combative trade stance.
Markets remained rattled. Major stock indexes shed trillions in value, while signals from the bond market kept Wall Street on edge. For now, the 90 day window gives U.S. trading partners a chance to negotiate.
But the message from Trump is clear: talk, or pay.
