The Trump administration is hitting China with harsher tariffs after the country failed to meet the president’s 12:00 p.m. deadline on Tuesday to lift its retaliatory tariffs. This comes after President Donald Trump insisted that China wanted to “make a deal badly.”
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that an additional 104% tariff on Chinese imports will be imposed on April 9. In Tuesday’s press briefing, Leavitt also reiterated Trump’s belief that China is looking to make a deal.
“He believes China has to make a deal with the United States. It was a mistake for China to retaliate,” Leavitt told reporters. “The president, when America is punched, he punches back harder, that’s why there will be 104% tariffs going into effect on China tonight at midnight.”
Leavitt added that Trump said he would be ‘gracious’ if Chinese President Xi Jinping were to attempt to negotiate a deal.
China was already expected to see increased tariffs under Trump’s reciprocal tariffs plan. The extra 104% was presumably added because of the country’s refusal to make a deal with the White House.
On April 4, Trump announced a list of tariffs and declared it was “Liberation Day.” After the announcement, countries around the globe had mixed reactions. Some looked to negotiate a better deal with the U.S., while others, like China, wanted to retaliate.