April 8 (UPI) — President Donald Trump’s tariffs on 86 countries, including an overall 104% tariff on China, will go into effect Wednesday, according to the White House.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday that the threatened additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods is scheduled to start at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
“It was a mistake for China to retaliate. The president, when America is punched, he punches back harder,” Leavitt told reporters, adding that Trump is working quickly to negotiate “tailor-made deals” with every country.
“We always move at Trump speed here at the White House, which is incredibly fast,” the press secretary said.
“The president likes to get things done, but he’s very much focused on ensuring that these deals are good for the American worker, they are good for American manufacturing and again, that they tackle these crippling deficits with these countries,” Leavitt said.
The overall 104% tariff rate on goods from China includes a 20% tariff, which is already in place, plus the 34% reciprocal tariff that Trump announced last week and the new, additional tariff of 50%. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is prepared to start collecting each country’s tariffs, effective Wednesday.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump posted to his Truth Social account about “a great call with the Acting President of South Korea,” adding that “China also wants to make a deal, badly, but they don’t know how to get it started. We are waiting for their call.”
While China’s retaliatory tariff of 34% is scheduled to go into affect Thursday, Beijing has warned it will retaliate further if Trump makes good on his threat of an additional 50% tariff.
“If the United States upgrades tariff measures, China will resolutely take countermeasures to protect its rights and interests,” the Asian nation’s commerce secretary said in a statement.
“China urges the United States to immediately correct its wrongful actions, cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, stop suppressing China in economic and trade matters, and resolve differences through equal dialogue based on mutual respect,” China’s commerce ministry added.
Trump announced tariffs last week to negotiate more favorable trade agreements with other countries. The tariffs have sent U.S. markets tumbling and sparked fears of a global recession.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration is currently negotiating with dozens of countries to eliminate tariff discrepancies with the United States.
“Almost 70 countries have now approached us wanting to help rebalance global trade,” Bessent told CNBC on Tuesday. “If they come to the table with solid proposals, I think we can end up with some good deals. And part of the calculus of that may be that some part of the tariffs stay on.”
Bessent also warned that tariff negotiations could stretch into June.
“It is going to be very busy and President Trump gave himself maximum negotiating leverage and just when he achieved maximum leverage, he’s willing to start talking,” Bessent told Fox Business.
Among those countries willing to negotiate are Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, according to the White House.
“I just had a great call with the Acting President of South Korea. We talked about their tremendous and unsustainable surplus, tariffs, shipbuilding, large-scale purchase of U.S. LNG, their joint venture in an Alaska pipeline and payment for big time military protection we provide to South Korea,” Trump wrote Tuesday in a post on Truth Social.
“Their top team is on a plane heading for the United States and things are looking good,” Trump added. “We are likewise dealing with many other countries, all of whom want to make a deal with the United States.”
Taiwan has said it is prepared to negotiate with the United States on trade and tariffs.
“Regarding the negotiation content, whether it is reducing tariffs or investment procurement, especially the non-tariff trade barriers that the United States is concerned about, we have prepared various plans,” Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung told reporters Tuesday.
“As long as the negotiation time and method are confirmed, we can negotiate with the United States at any time.”
On Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang to call for a “negotiated resolution to the current situation, emphasizing the need to avoid further escalation.”
“In response to the widespread disruption caused by the U.S. tariffs, President von der Leyen stressed the responsibility of Europe and China, as two of the world’s largest markets, to support a strong reformed trading system, free, fair and founded on a level playing field,” according to an EU readout.
“The leaders discussed setting up a mechanism for tracking possible trade diversion and ensuring any developments are duly addressed.”
