US says tariff rate on imports from China could go up to 245% as a result of Beijing’s retaliatory actions

In what is fast turning out to be a weekly revision of rates, the United States says that China now faces up to a 245% tariff on imports to the US as a result of Beijing’s retaliatory actions, with the new figure being revealed in a White House fact sheet.

The planned hike comes after China ordered its airlines to halt taking further deliveries of Boeing aircraft,in response to the decision by the US to increase the tariff on Chinese goods to 145% earlier this month. United States president Donald Trump has accused China of reneging on the Boeing deal.

Even as the trade war escalates, with no sign of anyone backing down, Trump has said he is open to a deal, but China needs to make the first step in any negotiation towards that, as indicated in various news reports.

“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,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing, saying Trump had given her that statement directly in an Oval Office meeting to use. “China wants what we have, the American consumer, or to put another way, they need our money,” she added.

On April 2, Trump announced a series of reciprocal tariffs on over 180 countries, including China, which had its tariff initially increased by 34%. By April 9, the rate had climbed to 145%, which was 125% on top of the 20% rate the president had put in place earlier. China then announced retaliatory tariffs on US goods totalling 84%, which included 34% in response to Trump’s reciprocal tariffs and 50% following Trump’s then threat of a further 50%.

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