I told you China will win.... Trump also said he’s willing to take a less confrontational approach to trade talks with China, noting that the current 145% tariff on Chinese imports is “very high, and it won’t be that high. ... No, it won’t be anywhere near that high. It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero.”
cheetos caves part 4, 22 days later Trump considering exemption for automakers on some tariffs, White House says https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/23/tru...omakers-on-some-tariffs-white-house-says.html This week six of the top policy groups representing the U.S. automotive industry uncharacteristically joined forces to lobby the Trump administration against implementing the upcoming tariffs on auto parts.
even cnbc laughs out loud U.S. President Donald Trump called the first shots in his trade crusade, but he also blinked first in his tariff war. CNBC Daily Open: Trump starts trade war but also blinks first https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/24/cnbc-daily-open-trump-starts-trade-war-but-also-blinks-first.html
China throws down the gauntlet: no trade talks until Trump rescinds tariff increase. China Slams the Door on Trump: No Trade Talks Without Total Tariff Surrender https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-slams-door-trump-no-161335053.html
'China sees an opening': Expert says Trump's miscalculation creates a 'problem' for U.S. https://www.rawstory.com/trump-trade-2671871325/ While talking trade on CNN, the editorial director of the Economic Innovation Group and host and co-creator of the New Bazaar podcast, Cardiff Garcia, said President Donald Trump has given China an opening to our allies. “So what's happening now is that there's just a standoff between the two countries?" Host Audie Cornish asked. “I think each side is waiting for the other one to blink,” Garcia said. “And so that the de-escalation can start, right? Because in the meantime, it's going to hurt both economies. The thing to know, though, is that China has been preparing for exactly this moment since at least the first Trump term, developing a bunch of tariffs then on China. That's essentially when the trade wars really escalated. It was continued, in fairness, under Joe Biden, and now it's gone to a level that I think people just hadn't anticipated. China's been getting ready for this. It's been developing a lot of legal tools, economic tactics that it can use to harm specific American industries in response.” Garcia later added, “So [China is] betting that they can ride it out longer than the U.S. can, and so in the meantime, there's a standoff, and yeah, people in both places are going to get hurt.” Cornish then said, “Also, it's interesting because unlike a smaller country, a Vietnam, right, or Italy or whatever, like people being like, okay, yeah, let's talk, let's talk. We heard that quote right about ‘drinking poison’ China is talking about the U.S. as a bully that they have to stand up to, which is not like out of the realm of how other countries are seeing [the tariffs]. I think that's like an added element to the negotiation here or lack thereof." “Well, previously part of the American strategy was precisely to develop deeper relationships with traditional U.S. allies and then essentially confront China that way to try to get it to impose changes on the way that it trades with other places,” Garcia said. “The problem now is that China sees an opening, and now it's China that's going to traditional U.S. allies and saying, hey, we're a big trading partner of yours, too, and you can see that the U.S. is not reliable. It has imposed tariffs on you guys as well. So now let's us get together and confront the U.S. instead. So, how far will that go? I don't know right. It really depends on what happens in the next few months, but that is the strategy that they're deploying.” Watch below or click the link.
Translation: Trump comes to China begging on his knees. Trump administration quietly reaches out to Beijing to kick off tariff talks https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live...ijing-to-kick-off-tariff-talks-191201623.html Chinese state-run media said late Wednesday that the Trump administration has quietly reached out to Beijing to kick off tariff talks. Despite President Trump’s public stance that President Xi must make the first move, the development represents the latest behind-the-scenes thawing of relations. Trump told his Cabinet on Wednesday that falling cargo flows showed China would soon need to engage. Trump said he was confident he’d speak with Xi. But a post from Yuyuantantian, a Weibo account affiliated with China Central Television that regularly signals Beijing’s views on trade, said China won’t engage unless the US takes “meaningful measures.” The post added that Washington appears to be the more anxious party under growing pressure. Reuters reported the day prior that China quietly compiled a list of US goods exempt from its 125% tariffs, aiming to ease trade tensions without making public concessions. The list is expanding, with recent waivers on US ethane, some semiconductor products, and certain pharmaceuticals, offering behind-the-scenes relief while maintaining a tough public stance. Trump defended the 145% tariffs on Chinese imports, claiming China "deserves it" and would likely absorb the costs. While acknowledging potential supply shortages and higher prices, he downplayed concerns, saying shelves might have fewer toys and they’d cost a bit more. Trump's comments contrast with efforts inside the administration to consider phased tariff reductions and revive trade talks with China, though no formal talks have begun. With 145% tariffs on China in place, cargo shipments have dropped 60%, raising concerns of supply shortages and layoffs in trucking, logistics, and retail. Meanwhile, some tariff relief is on the way for automakers after Trump signed an order offering exemptions to certain car and parts tariffs. The order clarifies that companies already paying tariffs on imported vehicles won't be charged other levies, such as on steel. The US also eased duties on foreign parts. The climbdown comes after intense lobbying from the auto industry, which warned of a huge hit to sales and price hikes for consumers. On Trump's 100th day in office, administration officials also looked to play up progress with other countries. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday claimed the US and one unnamed country were on the doorstep of a trade deal. Bessent said the US was "very close" to a deal with India. (More at above url)