Donald Trump had an unexpected reaction when a reporter queried him about the ongoing trade war with China.
Since Trump returned to the White House for his second term as president in January, he has been aggressive with tariffs and executive orders.
While numerous countries have criticized Trump’s controversial tariff policies, the trade conflict with China is particularly noteworthy.
On April 2, Trump implemented a series of reciprocal tariffs on trading partners around the globe.
Initially, a 20 percent tariff was placed on Chinese goods, which was subsequently increased by another 34 percent, resulting in a combined total of 54 percent on what was termed ‘Liberation Day’.
In response, China immediately imposed retaliatory measures against the US, including 15 percent tariffs on US agricultural products, ten percent on crude oil and agricultural machinery, and 34 percent on all US goods.
The trade war escalated further when Trump responded with an 84 percent levy, pushing the total on Chinese imports to an astounding 104 percent.
China retaliated by increasing its tariffs on US goods to 84 percent, but the back-and-forth continued.
Trump raised the tariff on China to 145 percent, and later to 245 percent, while pausing tariff plans for other countries for 90 days. In retaliation, China raised tariffs on all US goods to 125 percent and reduced exports of rare earth minerals.
Now, the 47th President of the United States has hinted at a possible change in strategy amid the ongoing trade war.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday (April 22), Trump stated: “145 percent is very high and it won’t be that high. It won’t be anywhere near that high. It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero.”
Despite the clear rise in tensions in recent weeks, Trump assured the media that he maintains a ‘very good relationship’ with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
When asked by reporters whether he would be tough with China in negotiations, Trump was quick to downplay the notion.
“No, no, we’re going to be very nice. They’re going to be very nice, and we’ll see what happens. But ultimately, they have to make a deal, because otherwise they’re not going to be able to deal in the United States, and we want them involved.
“I think we’re going to live together very happily and ideally work together, so I think it’s going to work out very well.”