US President, Donald Trump, has announced this “reciprocal” tariff scheme was being paused for 90 days in response to overtures from dozens of countries, hours after he bragged that global leaders are willing to do anything to make trade deals with him.
“I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Exactly one week ago, the President announced his reciprocal tariff rates — customized for each country around the globe. Dominica, along with other countries in the Caribbean, will face a baseline 10% tariff on exports to the United States.
In his new announcement, Trump did not spare China which he said did not respect the world’s markets.
“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately,” Trump wrote in his post. “At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable.”
He credited the tariff pause on the claim that “more than 75 countries” had contacted the White House to discuss trade deals.
Trump’s announcement came hours after he bragged that world leaders were begging him to make trade deals with them.
“I am telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my **s,” Trump said during a speech at the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner in Washington on Tuesday evening. “They are dying to make a deal.”
He went on to mock those begging for a deal, pretending that they were supplicating in a pitiful voice, “Please, Sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything, Sir.”
He insisted that he is correct, and everyone else is wrong about the dangers of his sweeping tariff hikes.
“I know what the hell I’m doing,” he said to the audience. “I know what I’m doing, and you know what I’m doing too.”
Many new tariffs, announced by Trump on April 2, took effect on Wednesday morning.
