Trump, China up trade war risks with tariff threats

What happened

President Donald Trump Monday warned China he would slap an extra 50% tariff on top of the 34% import tax he announced last week if Beijing retaliated with its own elevated tariffs. China called Trump's "threat to escalate" a "mistake on top of a mistake" and a form of "blackmail," adding: "China will fight to the end."

Who said what

Trump "appears locked in a high-stakes game of chicken, with the world's economy hanging in the balance," the BBC said. Some nations are "scrambling to make nice with the White House," but China has opted for "retaliation and resistance."

Trump's tariffs are "increasingly alienating" key "corporate titans, influencers and even Republican lawmakers" who have previously boosted his "shock-and-awe presidency," The Washington Post said. A "false dawn" from a rumor of a 90-day tariff pause "fueled a brief rally" in stocks followed by "wild swings," said The Wall Street Journal, an episode that highlighted the "increasing desperation on Wall Street as the trade-war rout of 2025 extends into a new week."

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What next?

Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs start Wednesday, and if he follows through on his threat, "U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods would reach a combined 104%," The Associated Press said. That would "increase prices for American consumers" but also "give China an incentive" to "seek deeper relationships with other trading partners, particularly the European Union," which is preparing its own retaliatory tariffs.