China-US Trade War Escalates as Beijing Imposes New Tariffs
By Ibrahim Umar,
Kanempress News,
10th,March,2025
Trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies are intensifying, with China set to impose new tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods starting on Monday, March 10, 2025. This move is in response to President Donald Trump’s recent tariff hikes on Chinese imports.
Trump, since his re-election in January, has been escalating trade restrictions, imposing a 10 percent tariff on all Chinese goods in early February and then raising it to 20 percent last week. In retaliation, China has announced it will impose fresh tariffs ranging from 10 to 15 percent on several U.S. farm products, including chicken, wheat, corn, cotton, soybeans, pork, beef, and more.
The tariffs are part of China’s strategy to counteract Trump’s aggressive trade policies, which he justifies by accusing trading partners of failing to curb illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. While Beijing’s retaliation targets U.S. farm products, analysts suggest it aims to hurt Trump’s voter base, particularly in rural and farming areas, but remains restrained enough to leave room for potential negotiations.
This escalation comes at a time when China is already facing economic challenges, including sluggish consumer spending, a massive debt crisis in its property sector, and high youth unemployment. Moreover, despite China’s export growth hitting record highs in 2024, data from early 2025 shows a slowdown, with exports rising only 2.3 percent in the first two months of the year, missing expectations and falling sharply from 10.7 percent in December.
As tensions rise, Premier Li Qiang of China acknowledged the “complex and severe external environment” during a speech at the country’s annual political meeting, the “Two Sessions.” Li announced a target growth rate of “around five percent” for 2025, a goal many economists consider ambitious given the prevailing economic headwinds.
Experts believe that if China increases fiscal spending, it might mitigate some of the negative effects of the trade war, but they remain uncertain about its ability to generate a lasting economic boost. With both economies bracing for more turbulence, the trade war between the U.S. and China shows no signs of easing anytime soon.
