In a dramatic escalation of the US-China trade war, the Trump administration has reportedly introduced a new tariff of up to 245% on Chinese imports, according to news reports citing a fact sheet released by the White House late Tuesday.
The move, reports indicate, comes in response to Beijing’s recent export restrictions on critical high-tech materials and its retaliatory tariff hikes on US goods. The White House fact sheet, as covered in the reports, states, “China now faces up to a 245% tariff on imports to the United States as a result of its retaliatory actions,” positioning the decision within President Donald Trump’s broader “America First Trade Policy.”
The US administration has accused China of deliberately restricting access to vital strategic materials — including gallium, germanium, and antimony — that are essential for the aerospace, military, and semiconductor industries. Most recently, China suspended exports of six heavy rare earth metals and rare earth magnets, intensifying supply chain pressures globally.
“A few months ago, China banned exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications,” the White House said. “Just this week, China suspended exports of six heavy rare earth metals, as well as rare earth magnets, in order to choke off supplies of components central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world.”
But the absence of Trump’s usual fanfare around such moves has triggered speculation online. Social media users questioned whether this marks a fresh hike from the earlier 145% rate or if the figure was simply a typographical error. Another possibility being floated is that the 245% duty is not a blanket rate on all Chinese goods, but rather the maximum tariff a product could face when long-standing duties and penalty rates are combined.