‘145% is very high’: Trump says US is going to be ‘very nice’ to China, possibly lower tariffs
“I am not going to say I am going to play hardball with China, no. We’re going to be very nice, they’re going to be very nice and we will see what happens," said Trump.
- Apr 23, 2025,
- Updated Apr 23, 2025 3:38 PM IST
US President Donald Trump, softening his tone on China, said that Washington is going to be “very nice” to Beijing and that the tariffs won’t remain as high as 145 per cent. In a less aggressive stance, Trump said they were taken for a ride by China and that it won’t happen anymore while asserting that a deal will be made between the two nations.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said, “I am not going to say I am going to play hardball with China, no. We’re going to be very nice, they’re going to be very nice and we will see what happens. Ultimately they will have to make a deal otherwise they are not going to be able to deal in the US. So, we want them involved but they will have to make a deal. If they don’t make the deal, we’ll set the deal. We are going to be setting the deal and it will be a fair deal for everybody. As a process it is going to go very quickly,” he said.
Trump further added, “145 per cent is very high and it won’t be that high. It won’t be anywhere near that high. It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero.”
He said China has taken the US for a ride and that it’s not going to happen anymore. “We are going to be very good to China, have a great relationship with President Xi but they would make billions and billions and billions of dollars a year and build their military out of the US, which won’t happen again. I think they are going to be very happy and we are going to live together very happily, and ideally work together.”
The US has imposed reciprocal tariffs of up to 245 per cent on China, while China imposed 125 per cent on American goods. The tariff of 245 per cent is the cumulative effect of multiple tariffs and not a blanket rate.
Meanwhile, China warned the US that pursuing a deal with Beijing while Washington puts extreme pressure is not the right way to deal with the Chinese side and it will not work.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated China’s stance to reporters that there are no winners in tariff wars and trade wars. The spokesperson said that protectionism, decoupling and breaking production and supply chains will only isolate the US itself. "With regard to the tariff war launched by the US, China's attitude is clear: we are not willing to fight and we are not afraid to fight," he said.
"To fight, we will fight to the end; to talk, the door is wide open," he added.
US President Donald Trump, softening his tone on China, said that Washington is going to be “very nice” to Beijing and that the tariffs won’t remain as high as 145 per cent. In a less aggressive stance, Trump said they were taken for a ride by China and that it won’t happen anymore while asserting that a deal will be made between the two nations.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said, “I am not going to say I am going to play hardball with China, no. We’re going to be very nice, they’re going to be very nice and we will see what happens. Ultimately they will have to make a deal otherwise they are not going to be able to deal in the US. So, we want them involved but they will have to make a deal. If they don’t make the deal, we’ll set the deal. We are going to be setting the deal and it will be a fair deal for everybody. As a process it is going to go very quickly,” he said.
Trump further added, “145 per cent is very high and it won’t be that high. It won’t be anywhere near that high. It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero.”
He said China has taken the US for a ride and that it’s not going to happen anymore. “We are going to be very good to China, have a great relationship with President Xi but they would make billions and billions and billions of dollars a year and build their military out of the US, which won’t happen again. I think they are going to be very happy and we are going to live together very happily, and ideally work together.”
The US has imposed reciprocal tariffs of up to 245 per cent on China, while China imposed 125 per cent on American goods. The tariff of 245 per cent is the cumulative effect of multiple tariffs and not a blanket rate.
Meanwhile, China warned the US that pursuing a deal with Beijing while Washington puts extreme pressure is not the right way to deal with the Chinese side and it will not work.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated China’s stance to reporters that there are no winners in tariff wars and trade wars. The spokesperson said that protectionism, decoupling and breaking production and supply chains will only isolate the US itself. "With regard to the tariff war launched by the US, China's attitude is clear: we are not willing to fight and we are not afraid to fight," he said.
"To fight, we will fight to the end; to talk, the door is wide open," he added.