White House Says Trump’s 104% Tariffs on China Take Effect at Midnight

The White House announced on Tuesday that tariffs on imports from China, initially imposed by former President Donald Trump, are set to increase overnight to 104%, as Beijing continues to maintain its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made this known during a briefing with reporters.

Leavitt said, “It was a mistake for China to retaliate. When America is punched, [the president] punches back harder.

“That is why there will be 104% tariffs going into effect on China tonight at midnight.”

Recall that Chinese goods were already slated to face 54% tariffs as part of former President Donald Trump’s latest wave of import duties, set to take effect on Wednesday.

Last week, Trump announced a baseline 10% tariff on all imports. However, he had already imposed a 20% tariff specifically on Chinese imports, followed by an additional 34% duty—bringing the total to 54%—in response to what he described as an unfair trade imbalance with China.

On Monday, Trump escalated the trade tension further by imposing an extra 50% tariff on Chinese goods, retaliating against the 34% tariffs China recently levied on U.S. exports. As a result, the total tariff rate on certain Chinese imports is now set to reach 104%.