Donald Trump, the U.S. President, expressed reluctance to impose trade tariffs on China during an interview with Fox News, stating, “I am not seeking a trade war with China.” Trump mentioned that the U.S. has a strong leverage against China in the form of tariffs but prefers not to use this leverage to avoid triggering a trade war between the world’s largest economies.
According to Pars Today, Trump’s new claim of not intending to engage in a trade war with China contradicts his previous stances and actions, both before and after his re-entry into the White House on January 20, 2025.
The new U.S. President, who initiated a tariff war against China during his first term, announced that his administration is considering imposing a 10% tariff on goods imported from China. Before assuming the presidency, Trump wrote in a series of posts on the social media platform Truth that on the first day of his presidency, he would issue an executive order to impose a 25% tariff on all products imported from Canada and Mexico and consider an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from China.
By increasing trade tariffs, Trump aims to launch a widespread trade war with the world, adopting a policy of pressure and coercion to force U.S. trade partners to accept and comply with Washington’s demands.
This would mean a comprehensive trade war with many emerging economies, particularly China, as well as European trade partners like Germany, and Western bloc partners such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea. Given Trump’s opposition to approaches and actions that have international consensus in the field of trade, a global alignment against Trump and his tariff war is gradually forming, similar to what happened during his first presidency.
MG/ME
