Trump announces 100% tariffs on China "over and above any tariff they are currently paying"

He also said that export controls will be placed on all critical software starting the same day.

In a post on Truth Social on Friday (local time), the US President said, "Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the USA, and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software."

Trump made the announcement in response to what he described as China taking "an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade" by sending "an extremely hostile letter to the world."

"It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the World, stating that they were going to, effective November 1, 2025, impose large scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them. This affects ALL Countries, without exception, and was obviously a plan devised by them years ago. It is absolutely unheard of in International Trade, and a moral disgrace in dealing with other Nations," Trump said.

"It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is History. Thank you for your attention to this matter," he added.

This comes in response to China's ramping up of restrictions on rare earth exports, expanding its control list, and extending curbs to cover production technologies and overseas applications, including those in the military and semiconductor sectors.

Earlier on Friday, Trump had that there was "no reason to meet" with Chinese President Xi Jinping after Beijing took "very hostile" steps by imposing sweeping new export controls on rare earth elements.

He had warned that the United States was preparing to respond with strong countermeasures, including a "massive increase of tariffs" on Chinese goods.

China, which dominates the global processing of rare earths used in everything from smartphones to fighter jets, has added five new elements --holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, and ytterbium --to its existing list of restricted minerals, bringing the total to 12 out of 17 types. Export licences will now be required not only for the elements themselves but also for technologies related to mining, smelting, and magnet production.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry said the move aims to "safeguard national security and interests" and prevent the materials from being used "directly or indirectly in military and other sensitive fields." It also imposed new restrictions on lithium batteries and graphite anode materials used in electric vehicles, according to CNN's report.

The new measures will take full effect between November and December, indicating Beijing's growing leverage in trade talks with the United States ahead of an expected meeting between President Xi Jinping and Donald Trump at the APEC summit in South Korea later this month.

CNN also noted that the latest curbs mirror Washington's own export controls on advanced chips, introducing a new phase in the ongoing US-China trade confrontation. (ANI)