Trump says China’s actions will determine tariff reductions

President Donald Trump stated Wednesday that any reduction in tariffs on Chinese imports will depend on China’s actions, as trade tensions between the US and China continue to escalate.

During an Oval Office meeting where he signed executive orders, Trump was asked how soon he wanted to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods. His response was straightforward: “Well, that depends on them.”

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt reinforced this stance earlier in the day during a Fox News interview, saying, “There will be no unilateral reduction in tariffs against China...China needs to make a deal with the United States of America.”

Trump repeated his longstanding criticism of China’s trade practices, emphasizing what he described as the US being "ripped off for years and years."

He added that failing to reach an agreement could lead to Washington unilaterally setting tariff rates, which he said could happen soon.

"Over the next two, three weeks, we’ll be setting the number, and we’re going to pick a rate, could be for China too,” Trump warned. "If we don’t make a deal, which is possible, we’re going to just set the price."

Trump also indicated that countries wishing to do business with the US will have to decide whether they are willing to trade under these new terms.

The comments come amid an ongoing trade war, which saw Trump recently increase tariffs on Chinese goods from 84 percent to 125 percent. These tariffs were further compounded by a 20 percent tariff on fentanyl-related products, bringing the effective tariff rate to 145 percent for most Chinese goods. In addition, some Chinese products face tariffs as high as 245 percent due to Section 301 measures addressing unfair trade practices.

In response, China has retaliated with its own tariffs of up to 125 percent on US goods and imposed restrictions on rare earth mineral exports, which are critical for high-tech industries.