- An 80% levy would be a significant reduction from the 145% tariff currently facing many Chinese goods. However, that number could still be seen as prohibitive to trade.
- It is unclear if Trump wants the 80% rate to be the long-term tariff for China, or whether it should be viewed as a step in negotiations.
- China is seen as the key hurdle in Trump’s effort to shake up the global trading environment.
President Donald Trump indicated Friday ahead of key trade talks that he was willing to lower tariffs on China to 80%, but that level may still be higher than what investors and business leaders were hoping for.
“80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is one of the U.S. officials set to speak with counterparts from China at meetings in Switzerland this weekend.
An 80% levy would be a significant reduction from the 145% tariff currently facing many Chinese goods. However, that number could still be seen as prohibitive to trade. It is also much higher than the 10% baseline tariff in the U.S.-U.K. trade agreement that was announced Thursday.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/09/trump-china-tariffs-trade-talks.html