'The ball is in China's court': Donald Trump presses Beijing on tariff deal

Amid ongoing tensions with Beijing, the Trump administration is negotiating with multiple countries to explore trade deals aimed at easing the impact of US-imposed reciprocal tariffs

Amid rising trade tensions between the United States and China, President Donald Trump has said the onus is now on Beijing to finalise a tariff agreement.   

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a message she said was dictated by Trump: “The ball is in China’s court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don't have to make a deal with them.” 

The statement further read, “There’s no difference between China and any other country except they are much larger, and China wants what we have, what every country wants, what we have -- the American consumer – or to put another way, they need our money.”

 

 

China retaliates over tariff hike

These remarks come as the tariff standoff between the two nations intensifies. China recently instructed airlines to halt further deliveries of aircraft from Boeing Co. This decision is seen as a counter to Trump’s announcement of increased tariffs on Chinese imports, raising them to as high as 145 per cent.  ALSO READ | China appoints new top trade negotiator amid tariff tensions with US 

Trump also took to his Truth Social platform to comment on the issue, claiming that China had “reneged on the big Boeing deal, saying that they will ‘not take possession’ of fully committed to aircraft”.

 

US eyes wider trade negotiations

While tensions with Beijing persist, the Trump administration has confirmed that it is holding talks with several other countries to explore trade deals that might ease the burden of the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US. 

Last week, Trump announced a pause on all reciprocal tariffs — excluding those on China. He said he had authorised a 90-day suspension and a temporary reduction of the reciprocal tariff rate to 10 per cent. However, Trump followed this with an additional tariff hike on Chinese goods. In another Truth Social post, he said, “Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125 per cent, effective immediately.”  ALSO READ | China halts deliveries of Boeing jets as trade war with US escalates 

He expressed hope that China would soon realise that exploiting global markets, especially the US, was no longer sustainable.

 

Cumulative tariffs reach 145%

Two days after Trump's announcement, the White House clarified that the total effective tariff on Chinese imports had reached 145 per cent. This figure includes a 20 per cent duty imposed earlier in the year due to Beijing’s involvement in fentanyl trafficking. The most recent 125 per cent tariff hike aims to address the US trade imbalance with China and respond to Beijing’s countermeasures.

China, in turn, has introduced its own 125 per cent retaliatory tariff on US goods.

 

[With agency inputs]