US-China commerce battle escalates with new spherical of tit for tat tariffs, timeline from Trump’s first time period

The commerce battle between america and China continues to accentuate, with each international locations ramping up tariffs and retaliatory actions. On April 4, 2025, China introduced a sequence of countermeasures in response to President Donald Trump’s imposition of 34% tariffs on all Chinese language imports, in accordance with AP.
These measures embody further export controls on uncommon earth minerals, a lawsuit on the World Commerce Group (WTO), suspensions of US agricultural imports equivalent to sorghum and poultry, and new restrictions on US firms.
This fast escalation is paying homage to the extraordinary tariff battles throughout Trump’s first time period in workplace, with each nations participating in tit-for-tat retaliatory measures which have damage one another’s economies. Whereas China’s newest actions are designed to problem the affect of US tariffs, additionally they threaten to exacerbate the commerce imbalance and place additional pressure on international provide chains.
Key moments within the US-China commerce spat:
March 2017:
Shortly after taking workplace, Trump indicators an government order calling for tighter tariff enforcement in anti-dumping circumstances to scale back commerce deficits.
April 2017:
Trump and Chinese language President Xi Jinping comply with a 100-day commerce plan, however the talks collapse by July.
August 2017
Trump launches an investigation into alleged Chinese language theft of US mental property, with an estimated value to the US of as much as $600 billion yearly.
January 2018
The US broadcasts 30% tariffs on imported photo voltaic panels, predominantly from China.
April 2018
China retaliates with tariffs on US items value $3 billion, together with fruits, nuts, wine, and pork, and escalates by imposing 25% tariffs on further US items value about $50 billion. The US follows with 25% tariffs on aerospace, equipment, and medical merchandise from China.
June-August 2018
Each nations impose a number of rounds of tariffs, affecting over $350 billion in Chinese language items and $110 billion in US merchandise, together with a ten% tariff on $200 billion value of Chinese language imports in September 2018, which was set to rise to 25% by January 2019.
December 2018-Could 2019:
Negotiations to finalize a commerce deal fail, and the US will increase tariffs on $200 billion value of Chinese language items from 10% to 25%.
Could 2019:
The US bans Chinese language tech big Huawei from buying US parts, worsening relations.
June 2019:
Trump and Xi comply with restart commerce talks, however progress is sluggish, with continued disagreements over tariffs.
January 2020:
The US and China signal the Section One commerce deal, which incorporates China’s promise to buy an extra $200 billion of US items. Nevertheless, a later report reveals China largely failed to fulfill these commitments.
October 2022:
President Biden retains a lot of the tariffs imposed underneath Trump and implements sweeping restrictions on semiconductor exports to China.
February 2024:
Trump, on the marketing campaign path, guarantees to impose a 60% tariff on all Chinese language imports if re-elected.
Could 2024:
Biden will increase tariffs on Chinese language electrical automobiles, photo voltaic cells, metal, aluminum, and medical gear.
February 2025:
A brand new spherical of 10% tariffs on all Chinese language imports is launched by the US, with China retaliating by imposing comparable tariffs on US coal, liquefied pure gasoline, and agricultural equipment.
March 2025:
A further 10% tariff on all Chinese language items is about to take impact, prompting China to counter with as much as 15% tariffs on key US farm merchandise, together with soybeans, pork, hen, and beef, alongside expanded restrictions on US firms.
April 3 2025:
In what’s being referred to as Trump’s “Tariff Liberation Day,” the US broadcasts a brand new 34% tariff on all Chinese language imports, prompting China to take additional motion with new export controls.
April 4, 2025
China broadcasts different retaliatory strikes together with extra export controls on uncommon earth minerals, and recordsdata a lawsuit on the World Commerce Organisation. China additionally suspends imports of sorghum, poultry and bonemeal from a number of US firms, provides 27 corporations to lists of firms going through commerce restrictions, and begins an anti-monopoly probe into DuPont China Group Co.