President Donald Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of economies officially took effect on April 9, including a massive 104% (total) tariff on Chinese goods, exacerbating the global trade war.
China Reacts Strongly
“The US continues to abuse tariffs to pressure China. China firmly opposes this and will never accept such bullying,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference on April 9.
Lin said that if the US wants to resolve issues through dialogue and negotiations, it needs to show “an attitude of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman also added that Beijing will continue to take “resolute and effective measures” to protect its rights and interests.
According to Xinhua, China's Ministry of Commerce pledged to "resolutely take countermeasures" and "fight to the end" if the US continues to escalate trade restrictions.
"I want to emphasize that no side wins in a trade war, and China does not want a trade war, but the Chinese government will absolutely not stand idly by when people's legitimate rights are infringed upon and deprived," Xinhua quoted a Ministry of Commerce official as saying.
Trump sued over tariffs
According to Al Jazeera, the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a conservative advocacy organization in the US, is filing a lawsuit against Trump's tariffs in US federal court. The organization argues that the US president has exceeded his legal authority.
Mr Trump has pushed for the tariffs by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), but NCLA says Mr. Trump is misusing the law.
“The law only allows for specific emergency measures such as imposing sanctions or freezing assets to protect the US from foreign threats. It does not allow the president to impose tariffs,” NCLA said.
NCLA also claims the president has “usurped Congress’s control of tariffs” and violated the separation of powers principle set out in the US Constitution.
According to Al Jazeera, NCLA’s lawsuit echoes the anti-tariff arguments previously made by many Republicans, including Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul.
Recession fears grow in Germany and France
Germany is facing the risk of another recession due to trade tensions triggered by Trump's tariffs, German Finance Minister Jorg Kukies has warned.
"A potential trade conflict would certainly increase the risk of a recession, that's undeniable," Kukies told Deutschlandfunk radio on Thursday morning.
In France, Patrick Martin, head of business lobby Medef, also warned that a worsening global trade war could hurt economic growth and lead to a recession.
"Of course I'm worried," Patrick Martin told RTL when asked about the impact of tariffs on French businesses. "The risk is that growth will stagnate, and we will fall into a recession."
Trump: "I'm the only one who dares to impose tariffs, because everyone else is afraid"
According to Sky News, Trump asserted on the evening of April 8 that he was right and everyone else was wrong about the risks from tariffs.
"I know what the hell I'm doing. I know what I'm doing, and you know what I'm doing," Trump said. "I'm the only one who dares to impose tariffs, because everyone else is afraid. They're afraid of criticism."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said the phone "has been ringing off the hook" and that 70 countries have contacted him to seek agreements to lift tariffs.
Trump boasted that only he is capable of sitting at the negotiating table, while dismissing the idea that Congress could take on that role.
“Some of the Republicans are rebellious — some of them want to show off and say, ‘I think Congress should do the negotiating.’ Let me tell you, they don’t know how to negotiate like I do,” Trump said.
Asian stocks take a hit
According to NBC News, Asian stocks fell on April 9, when Trump’s reciprocal tariffs officially took effect.
South Korea’s Kospi index fell 1.36%, down 20% since July, according to CNBC.
Japan’s Nikkei index fell 3.8%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 1.55%.
Tariffs to remain in place until China makes a deal
According to NBC News, Trump said on the evening of April 8 that the 104% tariff on Chinese imports would remain in place until Beijing reaches a deal with Washington.
“Until they make a deal with us, the tariffs will stay in place,” Trump said at a Republican Congressional Dinner. “I think they’ll eventually make a deal. China wants to make a deal. They really do.”
China has previously said it would “fight to the death” if Trump goes ahead with his plan to impose an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods, which has already taken effect, bringing the total tariff to 104%.
Trump comments on the tariff situation
Trump on the evening of April 8 (local time) praised his administration’s import tax policy on almost all goods, calling it a “legend.”
At the Republican Congressional Committee dinner in Washington on April 8, Mr. Trump predicted that the Republican Party would win a landslide victory in the 2026 midterm elections.
“I actually think we’re doing very well with the tariff situation right now, and it’s a good situation,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s fantastic. It’s going to be legendary.”
60 economies hit by Trump tariffs
According to the BBC, tariffs on goods imported into the US from about 60 countries have come into effect.
Trump officials said these countries were imposing higher tariffs on US goods, imposing non-tariff barriers to US trade or taking actions that undermined Washington's economic goals.
According to Reuters, Trump has sent mixed signals to investors about whether the new tariffs would be permanent, describing them as "permanent" on one hand and boasting that they were pressuring other leaders to offer to negotiate.
"There are a lot of countries that want to negotiate," Trump said at a White House event on the afternoon of April 8. At a later event, he said he expected China to also seek a deal.
The Trump administration has scheduled talks with South Korea and Japan - two close allies and major trading partners - and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected to visit next week.
According to Reuters, Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister is expected to hold talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later on April 9.
According to the BBC, China is facing the highest tariff rate, up to 104%. This is a combination of the 20% tariff imposed earlier, the 34% announced last week, and the 50% imposed by Mr. Trump just hours ago, after Beijing refused to withdraw retaliatory tariffs on US goods.
Other countries include Japan with a tariff of 24% and Cambodia with 49%.
These tariffs are significantly higher than the basic tariff of 10% applied to imports into the US from most countries, which took effect on April 5.