Treasury accuses China of 'retreating from commitments' in trade deal, confirms tariff spike


President Trump's tariff threat is a go.
After Trump tweeted Sunday that he would up tariffs on China, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer confirmed the revelation in a Monday afternoon announcement. The U.S. will raise tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion in Chinese goods, Lighthizer said, citing an "erosion of commitments by China." Still, trade negotiations with China will continue on Thursday and Friday, Lighthizer said.
The revelation comes as trade negotiations seemed to be going "very well" between the U.S. and China, as Trump put it two days ago. But Lighthizer pivoted and said China was "retreating from commitments that have already been made" in those negotiations, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin doubling down and saying China was trying to "renegotiate" already agreed-upon terms.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump's Sunday tweet was riddled with inaccuracies, including that "China has been paying tariffs to the USA," which isn't how tariffs work. Still, it sent Dow Jones Industrial Average futures plummeting, and the market opened down 450 points on Monday. It regained some steam throughout the day, but Dow futures plunged another 300 points on Monday afternoon after Lighthizer's announcement.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
The best film reboots of all-time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
'More must be done'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Are masked ICE agents America's new secret police?
Today's Big Question Critics say masks undermine trust in law enforcement
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores