The United States will impose an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports starting November 1, on top of the existing 30% duties, President Donald Trump announced Friday, escalating tensions in the renewed trade dispute with Beijing.
The move follows China’s decision to impose export restrictions on rare earth metals and other key materials. Trump described Beijing’s stance as “extremely aggressive,” accusing it of sending “a very hostile letter to the world” outlining plans for sweeping export curbs on almost all products it manufactures — and even some it does not.
The U.S. president said the new tariff could take effect earlier if China takes further action, adding that Washington will also impose export restrictions on “all critical software” linked to Chinese industries.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, saying China’s measures represented a direct challenge to global trade stability. He later told reporters that the United States “will not allow itself to be held hostage” by Beijing’s control of essential materials.
The president also threatened to cancel his upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, scheduled to take place in about three weeks in South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. However, he later clarified that the meeting had not been officially called off. “No, I haven’t canceled it, but I don’t know if it’s going to happen at all,” he said. “I’ll definitely be there, so I assume it could happen.”
