The “reciprocal tariffs” announced by Donald Trump on April 2 They have entered into force for almost 70 countries. On April 5, the minimum of 10% for all countries was applied, although the specific part for each one has begun to apply.
These levies range from 20% for the European Union, through 24% for Japan, 46% for Taiwan or up to 104% for China, after the United States president announced an additional 50% to the Asian country. China imposed 34% levies to the US as a response and Trump warned that if they did not withdraw them, they would rise 50% more.
Besides, Trump has mocked the countries that want to negotiate tariffs And he has signed that they are “kissing his ass” because “they die to reach an agreement,” according to statements before the Republican Committee.
What Trump intends with tariffs
China has assured that it will fight “until the end”, although in the case of two important powers for the world economy, its own war can bring disastrous consequences, since Both represent 43% of the global economy according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Last year The trade between the two was 585,000 million dollars although the imports of the United States of China were higher (440,000 million dollars) than those of China from the United States (145,000 million dollars). This involves a commercial US deficit with China of 295,000 million dollars, although it only represents 1% of the American economy.
What Trump intends with these tariffs is that American citizens buy more products manufactured there in order to increase the amount of taxes collected and increase the investment.
Another objective is Reduce the United States trade deficit And take revenge on the decades of looting that, according to Trump, the country has suffered from all countries of the world for decades. Thus, the United States would recover the place that corresponds to it in the world.
What products do they matter and export both to each other
Trump has already imposed tariffs during his first term. The results Imports from China reduced from 21% to 13%. In 2024, soybeans was the most exported product from the United States to China, followed by pharmaceutical products and oil. China, on the other hand, what most exports to the United States are electronic products, computers and toys.
Imported articles to the United States from China your price will increase considerably due to the 104%tariff. But, in addition to applying mutually tariffs, these countries can take other measures.
For example, from China they could put obstacles to the arrival of copper or lithium to the United States, while the United States could harden the technological block against China (Chinese cannot import advanced microchips).
Fatal consequences for the world
A commercial war between the two countries could cause a recession in their economy, but also in the global economy. In the same way It would increase inflation. This commercial war would seriously put globalization and analysts alert the danger of a crisis similar to the great depression of the 30s of the twentieth century, that of 2008 or that of the Pandemia of the COVID-19.
Brussels has already estimated that the United States will enter 81,000 million euros compared to the 7,000 million that raised so far and that 70% of exports will be affected.
In addition, China is the largest manufacturing country in the world, so these levies could have consequences for fast consumption companies such as Shein, which would see their prices increase. At the moment, Trump’s tariffs have caused the bags of the world to have experienced strong falls, in some cases such as Asians, the biggest in history.
