2.0時代的中美關係 時間線

特朗普2.0時代的中美關係：時間線

2025年7月18日 中國簡報發布
https://www.china-briefing.com/news/us-china-relations-in-the-trump-2-0-implications/

此時間線創建於2025年1月21日，最後更新於2025年7月18日。

2025年1月20日，唐納德·特朗普宣誓就任美國第47任總統。他重返白宮標誌著中美關係的轉變。在其第一任期強硬立場的基礎上，特朗普2.0預計將以更具交易性和不可預測的方式挑戰中國。他的政策帶來的經濟、安全和外交後果不僅將重塑中美關係，還將影響更廣泛的全球地緣政治格局。

預計特朗普將加劇其第一屆政府時期的貿易對抗，可能通過提高關稅和製裁中國企業來實現更大的經濟自給自足。然而，特朗普專注於美國眼前利益，可能為建立長期戰略聯盟留下空間，這使得他的政策更加難以預測。在特朗普試圖在動蕩的政治背景下開啟第二任期之際，中國需要迅速適應這位更注重短期勝利而非追求傳統外交戰略的美國總統。

本時間表將追蹤特朗普2.0時代中美關係的關鍵發展，探討其對中國經濟和其他關鍵方麵的潛在影響，同時深入分析華盛頓和北京在麵對新一輪地緣政治競爭時將采取的戰略。

此前，《中國簡報》追蹤並記錄了特朗普時代的中美貿易戰以及拜登時代的中美關係演變。

在中國經商，探索深度投資和商業指南。

探索重要的經濟、地理和監管洞察，幫助商業投資者、管理者或外籍人士了解中國的商業環境。我們的在線商業指南提供來自實地顧問的講解文章、新聞、實用工具和視頻，這些顧問為在中國經商的知識貢獻力量。開始探索特朗普2.0時代的中美關係.2025年7月18日：特朗普暗示立場趨於溫和，中美關係出現解凍跡象

近期事態發展表明，中美貿易緊張局勢可能有所緩和，因為唐納德·特朗普總統在可能與中國國家主席習近平舉行麵對麵會晤之前，對北京采取了更為和解的語氣。

據彭博社周三發布的報道，特朗普現在優先考慮與中國快速達成類似其第一任期內達成的采購協議，而不是旨在糾正貿易失衡的更深層次的結構性改革。據報道，在內部會議上，特朗普是“會議室裏最不鷹派的聲音”，這表明其戰略正在轉變，旨在確保取得切實的勝利並達成新的貿易協定。

消息人士還表示，美國可能會將目前與中國的關稅休戰協議（原定於8月12日到期）延長三個月。此前幾周，特朗普政府采取了一係列較為溫和的舉措，包括取消對中國獲取美國電子設計自動化（EDA）軟件的限製，並允許英偉達恢複向中國出口其H20 AI芯片。

特朗普最近還稱讚中國在應對美國芬太尼危機方麵取得了“重大進展”，這標誌著其語氣的顯著轉變。今年早些時候，中國涉嫌在芬太尼出口中扮演的角色被列為對中國商品征收20%關稅的關鍵理由。

美國財政部長斯科特·貝森特也緩解了人們的擔憂，他告訴商界領袖不必擔心即將到來的8月12日最後期限。相反，貝森特稱美中談判“進展順利”，並表示希望在不久的將來與中國國務院副總理何立峰舉行會晤。

隨著雙方逐漸減少經濟壓力並釋放合作意願，市場謹慎樂觀地認為美中關係可能趨於穩定——尤其是在特朗普傳聞訪華前，兩國關係勢頭增強的情況下。

2025年7月10日：特朗普宣布對銅進口征收50%的關稅, 特朗普總統在Truth Social網站上發表文章宣布，他將對所有進口銅征收50%的關稅，自8月1日起生效，旨在“再次打造一個占主導地位的銅產業”。

截至撰寫本文時，尚未發布有關該關稅的官方信息，因此尚不清楚哪些銅製品將受到關稅影響。

根據美國人口普查局的數據，2024年美國進口了價值約171億美元的銅及銅製品，其中不到3%來自中國（4.842億美元）。美國銅進口的絕大部分來自智利（35.7%）和加拿大（23.3%）。

中國仍然在全球銅供應鏈中占據主導地位。2024年，中國生產了2300萬噸銅和1360萬噸稀土。

根據國家統計局的數據，中國已將罰款銅出口至美國。中國海關數據顯示，2024年中國銅及銅製品出口總額達140億美元。2024年，中國最大的銅出口市場是台灣、韓國、泰國和越南，銅在這些國家用於生產關鍵產品和技術，包括半導體、智能手機、電池以及太陽能和風能技術。

由於沒有關於哪些產品將被征收關稅的具體細節，目前尚不清楚這將對中國銅行業造成何種影響。雖然中國直接向美國出口的銅量很小，但顯然大量中國製造的銅被用於運往美國的最終產品。更廣泛地實施針對含銅產品的關稅，可能會對中國出口產生更大的連鎖反應。

2025年7月3日：美國解除對華關鍵芯片設計軟件及技術的出口禁令, 美國商務部工業和安全局（BIS）已通知提供電子設計自動化（EDA）軟件的公司，他們可以無需許可證即可向中國出口服務，相關公司已向記者證實。

5月23日，美國三大EDA軟件供應商——Cadence、Synopsys和Siemens——收到了BIS的信函，信中稱，他們需要獲得出口許可證才能向中國提供芯片設計軟件和技術。

Siemens在其網站上發布的一份聲明中表示，已收到BIS的通知，對中國客戶的EDA軟件和技術出口限製已取消。該公司補充說，因此，它“已恢複對軟件和技術的全麵訪問[...]，並已恢複對中國客戶的銷售和支持。”

EDA出口禁令的解除可能與中美上周達成的協議有關。該協議尚未公開，但已得到中美兩國官員的確認。協議規定，中國將批準稀土和其他關鍵材料的出口許可證，以換取美國取消對華采取的反製措施。

據路透社報道，美國還致函乙烷生產商，要求其“撤銷5月底和6月對華出口的限製性許可要求”，這可能是美國為履行協議義務而采取的另一項努力。

2025年6月27日：中美官員稱已達成加快稀土許可證發放的協議
6月26日（周四），特朗普告訴記者，美國已於前一天與中國簽署了一項協議，以促進稀土出口到美國。美國商務部長霍華德·盧特尼克隨後重申了這一消息。他周五在接受彭博社采訪時表示，中國將開始向美國供應稀土，以換取美國取消對華反製措施。

周五，中國商務部（MOFCOM）確認了部分細節，稱中國將“批準符合法律規定條件的管製物項出口申請”，以換取美國解除“一係列針對中國的限製措施”。

雖然協議細節尚未公布，但官員們的聲明表明，在5月份達成的日內瓦協議設定的8月12日最後期限之前，阻礙貿易談判的核心問題之一已取得重大進展。

在更廣泛的中美貿易關係背景下，該協議的範圍可能仍然有限，側重於落實日內瓦協議達成的各項協議，而該協議主要撤銷自4月2日以來采取的行動，而非解決長期存在的爭端。

2025年6月16日：美國商務部將50%鋼鐵關稅擴大至家用電器
周一，美國商務部工業與安全局（BIS）發布公告，將數款家用電器納入鋼鐵衍生品關稅清單，這意味著這些產品在進口到美國時將被額外征收50%的關稅。新的關稅將根據產品中所含鋼材的比例而非整個產品征收，並將於2025年6月23日生效。

此前，特朗普總統於6月3日簽署公告，將鋼鐵和鋁產品及其衍生產品的關稅稅率從25%提高至50%，該公告自6月4日起生效。

目前適用50%關稅的“鋼鐵衍生產品”包括：

兩用冰箱（HTSUS：8418.10.00）
小型和大型烘幹機（HTSUS：8451.21.00和8451.29.00）
洗衣機（HTSUS：8450.11.00和8450.20.00）
洗碗機（HTSUS：8422.11.00）
臥式和立式冷凍櫃（HTSUS： 8418.30.00 和 8418.40.00)
爐灶、爐灶和烤箱 (HTSUS: 8516.60.40)
食物垃圾處理器 (HTSUS: 8509.80.20)
焊接金屬架 (HTSUS: 9403.99.9020)
以下產品進口總值

根據美國國際貿易中心貿易地圖 (ITC Trade Map) 的數據，2024年，這些HTSUS子目產品從中國進口的金額接近30億美元。雖然大多數此類產品將根據其鋼材含量征稅，但焊接線架產品也將根據其鋁含量征稅。

由於該關稅僅針對產品中所含鋼材或鋁的比例，因此不會對所有進入美國的家用電器產生同等影響。中國機電產品進出口商會 (CCCME) 的一位代表告訴《財新》，該關稅將對洗衣機等鋼材含量較高的大型家電出口商產生負麵影響，但對其他產品類別的影響有限，並指出“許多中國製造的家電的鋼材和鋁含量通常在15%到30%之間”。

2025年6月11日：中美兩國在倫敦會晤後就貿易“框架”達成一致；現行關稅稅率保持不變
6月9日至10日，中美兩國高級官員在倫敦舉行了為期兩天的會談，雙方就一項框架協議達成一致，以維護5月份達成的日內瓦貿易協定的條款。

盡管該框架協議的細節尚未公布，但特朗普周三對記者表示：“我們與中國達成了一項很棒的協議。我們對此非常滿意。”他還補充說：“我們擁有所需的一切，我們將很好地執行協議。”

中國商務部國際貿易談判代表李成鋼在會談後的新聞發布會上表示，雙方“原則上同意落實兩國元首6月5日通話共識以及日內瓦會談達成的協議的框架”。

特朗普在“真相社交”（Truth Social）網站上發表文章稱，與中國的協議“已經完成，但需經特朗普和習近平最終批準”。他還表示，圍繞中國稀土金屬出口的分歧已經得到解決，並表示中國將“預先”供應整套磁鐵和任何必要的稀土。特朗普還表示，美國將向中國提供“雙方已達成的協議”，包括繼續允許中國學生赴美留學，這表明美國正在收回此前威脅撤銷中國學生簽證和暫停新簽證申請的立場。

他還表示，美國將“總共征收55%的關稅，中國征收10%的關稅”，這表明目前的關稅安排將保持不變。美國商務部長霍華德·盧特尼克周三向記者證實，對華征收55%的關稅稅率將保持不變。

55%的關稅包括自2025年4月2日起實施的全球10%最低基準關稅、自2025年3月4日起實施的20%“芬太尼”關稅，以及自特朗普第一任期以來對大多數中國商品實施的25%的301條款關稅。

由於缺乏框架協議的更多具體細節，目前尚不清楚雙方究竟達成了哪些條款，以及圍繞稀土金屬（參見6月9日的條目）的分歧和誤解是否已經得到解決。

2025年6月9日：中美官員在倫敦開始貿易談判，焦點可能集中在稀土出口許可證的發放上
周一，中國國務院副總理何立峰在倫敦會見了美國財政部長斯科特·貝森特、商務部長霍華德·盧特尼克和美國貿易代表傑米森·格裏爾，舉行了“中美經貿磋商機製”首次會議。這一機製，中方稱之為“日內瓦機製”，是在5月份舉行的貿易會議期間建立的，該會議促成了日內瓦貿易協定的達成。

會議將於周二繼續進行，盡管官方信息尚未公布，但談判很可能集中於解決圍繞中國發放稀土出口許可證的誤解。

作為日內瓦貿易協定的一部分，中國同意自2025年4月2日特朗普對美國實施互惠關稅以來，暫停或取消其對美國采取的非關稅反製措施。然而，對於中國在該協定下的具體義務範圍，各方存在重大分歧。

4月4日，中國對七種具有“兩用”屬性的稀土金屬實施出口限製，要求出口商申請出口這些產品的許可證。這些限製適用於全球，而不僅僅是對美國的出口，並且根據《兩用物項出口管製規定》，申請需要45天才能完成。

美方似乎期望中國徹底取消許可要求，或大幅加快對輸美產品申請的處理速度。然而，由於這些限製適用於所有國家，而不僅僅是美國，而且處理時間和要求均由中國法律規定，因此，如果沒有進一步的激勵措施，中國不太可能為美國做出這樣的讓步。

中國

國家主席習近平和特朗普總統6月5日的通話似乎澄清了一些誤解，但具體討論了什麽尚不清楚。如果雙方達成互惠協議，中國仍有可能就此問題做出一些讓步。據路透社報道，白宮經濟顧問凱文·哈塞特告訴記者，“美國可能會同意取消對部分半導體的出口管製，以換取中國加快稀土供應”。

2025年6月5日：習近平和特朗普通話，暗示未來將舉行麵對麵會談
周四，習近平主席和特朗普總統進行了通話，此舉有助於緩解貿易和出口管製方麵日益加劇的緊張局勢。此次會談正值雙方互相指責對方未能履行5月中旬達成的貿易協定條款之際。

特朗普在其社交媒體平台“真相社交”（Truth Social）上發布的帖子表示，此次通話持續約一個半小時，圍繞“我們[…]貿易協議的一些複雜細節”展開，並“取得了對兩國都非常積極的成果”。雖然他沒有透露更多細節，但他表示，雙方隻討論了貿易問題，並補充說“關於稀土產品的複雜性，應該不再存在任何問題”。這表明，雙方討論了中國對某些稀土金屬的出口限製，這是貿易談判的核心症結之一。

特朗普還表示，中國官員和特朗普政府官員將很快在“待定地點”會晤，美方代表包括財政部長斯科特·貝森特、商務部長霍華德·盧特尼克和美國貿易代表傑米森·格裏爾。

特朗普還聲稱，習近平邀請特朗普訪華，特朗普也向習近平發出了邀請。

據新華社報道，習近平呼籲加強對話與合作，並指出美中應“加強外交、經貿、軍事、執法等領域對話”。

盡管特朗普表示雙方隻討論了貿易問題，但新華社的報道指出，習近平警告美方慎重處理台灣問題，“避免讓少數‘台獨’分裂分子把美中兩國推入衝突對抗的危險境地”。

據新華社報道，特朗普表示他對習近平表示最崇高的敬意，並表示美國歡迎中國經濟持續增長。他還重申美國將堅持一個中國政策。

2025年5月31日：特朗普自6月4日起將鋼鐵和鋁關稅提高一倍至50%
特朗普總統宣布，美國將從6月4日起將所有進口至美國的鋼鐵和鋁關稅從25%提高至50%。

特朗普於2月初首次根據《1962年貿易擴展法》第232條，對來自所有國家的鋼鐵和鋁進口征收25%的關稅。

許多原產於中國的鋼鐵和鋁產品已根據《1974年貿易法》第301條被征收25%的關稅。根據《國際緊急經濟權力法》（IEEPA），美國於2月和3月對中國商品征收的所謂20%的“芬太尼”關稅也將適用於這些商品。然而，“互惠”關稅（目前為10%）將不適用，因為受第232條關稅約束的商品已被排除在該關稅之外。

自6月4日起，對中國鋼鐵和鋁產品的最終關稅稅率將至少為70%。對於同樣受301條款影響的產品，總稅率將超過95%。

自特朗普第一任期以來，中國鋼鐵和鋁產品就一直麵臨301條款關稅，導致近年來中國對美直接出口急劇下降。雖然最新一輪關稅上調不太可能顯著影響中國對美直接出口，但新關稅的全球範圍可能會進一步打擊中國向第三國出口鋼鐵和鋁產品，而這些第三國又將這些產品轉口至美國。

2025年5月29日：據報道，美國商務部下令企業停止向中國出口關鍵芯片材料和軟件
據媒體援引匿名消息人士的報道，美國商務部已下令多家美國公司停止向中國提供芯片設計和生產所需的關鍵軟件和材料。

據路透社報道，美國商務部將要求這些公司在獲準向中國出口產品之前獲得許可證，此前授予的一些許可證已被撤銷。

收到美國商務部工業和安全局 (BIS) 信函的公司包括 Cadence、Synopsys 和 Siemens EDA，這三家公司是電子設計自動化 (EDA) 領域的“三巨頭”。EDA 是半導體設計所需的關鍵軟件。這些公司收到了

一周前發布的命令，現在要求獲得許可證才能向中國銷售軟件。

據路透社報道，其他被針對的產品包括丁烷和乙烷等半導體化學品，以及機床和航空設備。然而，美國政府尚未公開這些命令。

中國商務部發言人6月2日（星期一）譴責此舉，稱此舉與5月28日決定開始吊銷中國留學生簽證“嚴重違反兩國元首1月17日達成的共識，嚴重破壞日內瓦會談業已達成的共識，嚴重損害中方合法權益”。

針對特朗普總統指責中國“完全違反”5月份在日內瓦達成的協議，發言人表示，美方“反其道而行之，無理指責中國違反共識，這嚴重違背事實”。

2025年5月28日：美國國務院表示將“積極”撤銷中國學生簽證
美國國務卿馬可·盧比奧發表聲明稱，美國國務院將與國土安全部合作，“積極撤銷中國學生的簽證，包括與中國共產黨有聯係或在關鍵領域學習的學生”。簽證標準也將進行修訂，以“加強對中華人民共和國和香港所有未來簽證申請的審查”。

此舉正值美國加大對國際學生的打擊力度之際，這是特朗普減少移民到美國的議程的一部分。此前一天，據報道，盧比奧已下令美國大使館和領事館停止所有新的國際學生簽證申請預約，並將實施新的程序來審查學生的社交媒體賬戶。

上周，特朗普試圖阻止哈佛大學為國際學生提供簽證擔保，但此舉已被法官暫時叫停。然而，特朗普政府官員周三告訴美國有線電視新聞網 (CNN)，美國國務院現在將審查所有與哈佛大學相關的簽證，包括學生、商務和工作簽證。

中國強烈譴責這一聲明。外交部發言人毛寧周四向媒體發表聲明，稱此舉是“美方的政治性和歧視性做法”，並表示此舉“嚴重損害了中國留學生的合法權益，幹擾了兩國正常的文化交流”。

該發言人還表示，中方已正式就此事與美方提出異議。

2025年5月28日：美國聯邦法院裁定特朗普超越權限，阻止芬太尼及對等關稅
周三，美國國際貿易法院法官裁定，特朗普利用《國際緊急經濟權力法》（IEEPA）對所有全球貿易夥伴征收全麵關稅的行為超越了其權限，並要求政府在10天內取消自4月2日起征收的對等關稅，以及針對中國、加拿大和墨西哥征收的與芬太尼販運相關的關稅。

該裁決針對兩起針對美國政府及其海關和貿易機構的案件，一起由五家小企業組成，另一起由美國12個州提起。

根據法院的判決書，“法院並未解讀IEEPA賦予其如此無限的權力（對幾乎所有國家的商品征收無限關稅），並撤銷了根據該法案征收的受質疑的關稅。” 相反，征收此類關稅的權力在於國會。

特朗普政府已就該裁決提起上訴，案件最終有可能上訴至最高法院。

如果裁決成立，將影響目前對中國征收的以下關稅：

自2025年3月起征收的20%“芬太尼”關稅

自2025年4月2日起征收的“對等”關稅（自5月14日起征收10%，90天後升至30%）
該裁決不會影響特定行業的關稅，例如針對鋼鐵、鋁和汽車的關稅，以及針對中國的301條款關稅。

雖然該裁決給全球許多企業和國家帶來了希望，但值得注意的是，該裁決並非最終裁決，美國政府還有其他方式對所有商品和貿易夥伴征收一攬子關稅。高盛分析師告訴CNBC，美國政府或許可以援引《1974年貿易法》第122條或第301條，或《1930年貿易法》第338條。這意味著這項裁決可能隻會給美國政府帶來暫時的挫折。

盡管如此，特朗普政府在一定程度上將全麵關稅作為與歐盟、印度和中國等主要夥伴進行貿易談判的籌碼。這項裁決使人們對這些關稅能否維持產生了懷疑，從而嚴重損害了美國的談判地位。

馬雲

2025年2月20日：美國商務部在初步裁定中指控中國對關鍵電池材料提供不公平補貼，為征收高達721%的反補貼稅鋪平道路
美國商務部（DOC）在一項針對中國產活性陽極材料的反補貼稅調查中做出了初步肯定性裁定。該裁定指出，中國對這些關鍵材料的生產商提供不公平的補貼，補貼稅率從6.55%到721.03%不等，損害了美國生產商的利益。

活性陽極材料包括石墨和矽樹脂材料，對電動汽車電池的生產至關重要。這項調查是由代表美國石墨生產商的臨時貿易協會美國活性陽極材料生產商於2024年12月提起的。據彭博社報道，申請人最初尋求征收高達920%的反補貼關稅。

美國商務部將於2025年9月29日發布最終裁定，隨後，國際貿易委員會（ITC）也將於2025年11月發布最終裁定和最終反傾銷命令。

這意味著美國可能對部分中國生產商（即湖州凱金新能源科技股份有限公司和上海紹盛針織有限公司）征收高達721.03%的反補貼關稅，並對所有其他中國公司征收6.55%的關稅。

美國商務部目前正在對來自中國的活性陽極材料進行反傾銷稅調查。

2025年5月18日：中國宣布對原產於美國、歐盟、台灣和日本的聚甲醛共聚物（POM）征收最高74.9%的反傾銷關稅
2025年5月18日，中國商務部（MOFCOM）宣布，對原產於美國的聚甲醛共聚物（POM）征收74.9%的反傾銷關稅。此前，該調查已持續一年。商務部認定，美國、歐盟、台灣和日本的生產商以不公平的低價向中國市場傾銷POM共聚物，對中國國內產業造成實質性損害。該反傾銷關稅將於2025年5月19日起生效，有效期五年。

POM共聚物是一種高強度熱塑性塑料，廣泛應用於汽車零部件、電子產品、工業機械、消費品、醫療設備和建築材料等產品。它因其耐用性、抗疲勞性以及可替代銅和鋅等金屬的特性而備受青睞。此次關稅專門適用於中國海關代碼39071010和39071090項下的產品。

該裁決規定了針對特定公司的關稅：包括泰科納聚合物公司在內的所有美國出口商均麵臨74.9%的統一稅率。塞拉尼斯德國生產公司等歐盟公司則需繳納34.5%的關稅。台灣寶理塑料股份有限公司和台塑股份公司分別享受3.8%和4%的較低關稅，而其他台灣出口商則麵臨32.6%的關稅。包括寶理塑料株式會社和旭化成株式會社在內的日本公司則分別麵臨35.5%和24.5%的關稅。

進口商必須根據貨物的海關估價繳納反傾銷稅，並按包括關稅和關稅在內的總價值征收進口增值稅。 2025年1月24日至5月18日期間收取的保證金將轉換為最終反傾銷稅。多繳的保證金將被退還，少繳的保證金將不予收取。

2025年5月13日：美國商務部警告美國企業不要使用中國製造的集成電路，包括華為特定的昇騰芯片
美國商務部工業和安全局（BIS）發布了針對美國企業和個人的新指南，警告他們不要使用中國製造的先進計算集成電路（IC）。此舉是在中美達成貿易協議（降低互惠關稅稅率並撤銷其他非關稅反製措施）的一天後發布的。

BIS最初的公告於5月12日發布，最初警告企業不要在“世界任何地方”使用這些集成電路，但一天後更新了指南，刪除了這一措辭。

該指南聲稱，這些集成電路“很可能是在違反美國出口管製的情況下開發或生產的”，因此其使用違反了《出口管理條例》(EAR) 的一般禁令 10 (GP10)。

GP10 列出了 10 條禁止出口、再出口或在國內轉讓受 EAR 管轄的商品、軟件和技術的禁令。GP10 還禁止美國公司和個人進行明知交易已經或將涉及違反 EAR 的物項的交易。

該指南指出，使用中國製造的集成電路（包括特定的華為 Ascend 芯片）可能違反 GP10 的第十條禁令，即禁止任何個人或公司使用或處理受美國出口管製的物項，前提是該個人或公司明知或有理由知道這些物項與過去、現在或意圖違反美國出口法的行為有關。

該指南列出了華為 Ascend

華為 Ascend 910B、華為 Ascend 910C 和華為 Ascend 910D 芯片是可能根據《出口管理條例》（EAR）受到美國出口管製的集成電路芯片的例子。美國商務部工業和安全局 (BIS) 表示，這些芯片可能違反了《出口管理條例》，因為它們很可能是使用美國軟件或技術設計的，或使用直接源自美國原產軟件或技術的半導體製造設備生產的，或兩者兼而有之，而這些軟件或技術未經 BIS 許可是被禁止的。

該指南進一步警告稱，未經 BIS 授權使用這些集成電路芯片可能導致嚴厲處罰，“最高處罰包括監禁、罰款、喪失出口權或其他限製”。

BIS 發布的另一份指南還警告公司和個人，某些與轉讓或支持用於人工智能模型訓練的先進計算集成電路芯片相關的活動可能需要 BIS 的授權，尤其是在已知該技術將用於或代表某些國家和地區（包括中國大陸和澳門）進行軍事情報或大規模殺傷性武器相關用途的情況下。

中國商務部發言人譴責美國商務部工業和安全局的指導意見，稱美方“濫用出口管製措施，以毫無根據的指控對中國芯片產品實施更嚴格的限製”。發言人補充說，該聲明“損害了中國企業的合法權益，威脅了全球半導體供應鏈的穩定，違反了市場規則，擾亂了國際貿易秩序”。

2025年5月13日：美降低最低關稅稅率，但小件包裹成本依然高企
特朗普政府已將來自中國大陸和香港的包裹的最低關稅稅率從120%下調至54%，這與近期中美達成的降低互惠關稅協議相一致。

最低關稅稅率於4月2日首次上調至54%，同一天，特朗普對包括中國在內的多個貿易夥伴征收了所謂的“解放日”關稅。隨後，該稅率兩次上調，自5月2日起達到120%，即每件商品收取100美元的費用，並計劃從6月1日起將該費用提高到200美元。在周末達成協議將互惠關稅降至10%（美國基準最低關稅）之後，美國政府將最低稅率降至54%，但維持每件商品100美元的費用，取消了原定於6月1日上調至200美元的計劃。

盡管稅率有所降低，但小包裹的進口成本仍然遠高於免稅進口之前的水平。對於習慣於低成本免稅進口的小企業和消費者來說，這一變化意味著巨大的轉變。雖然稅率從120%降至54%可能會減輕一些財務負擔，但增加的成本和維持不變的每件商品費用仍然是實現經濟高效進口的巨大障礙，尤其是對於Shein和Temu等電商平台而言。

2025年5月12日：中美同意將互惠關稅降至10%
2025年5月12日（星期一），美國白宮與中國商務部發表聯合聲明，承諾將互惠關稅稅率從125%降至10%，為期90天。目前對中國商品征收的20%關稅將保持不變，這意味著對中國商品的最終關稅稅率將為30%。

該協議是在中國國務院副總理何立峰與美國財政部長斯科特·貝森特和美國貿易代表大使傑米森·格裏爾上周末在日內瓦會晤後達成的。

根據協議，雙方承諾自4月9日起完全取消此前相繼實施的更高互惠關稅稅率。美國最初於4月2日實施的34%的關稅稅率，中國最初於4月4日實施的34%的關稅稅率，已修改為10%，初始期限為90天。這意味著，如果未來90天內未能達成進一步協議，且該期限未延長，關稅稅率將恢複至34%，而非125%。

除降低關稅外，中國還同意暫停或取消自2025年4月2日首次對美實施互惠關稅以來對美采取的其他非關稅反製措施。

在聯合聲明中，中美雙方承諾建立一個持續的貿易磋商機製，由中方副總理何誌強主持，美方由格裏爾和貝森特主持。雖然具體的讓步尚不明確，但潛在的議題包括減少美國貿易逆差和增加美國在中國的市場準入，類似於2020年第一階段協議。盡管達成了協議，但10%的基準關稅可能仍將保留，就像最近美英貿易協議中的情況一樣。美國對華2954億美元的貿易逆差仍然是一個核心問題，盡管過去為減少逆差所做的努力，包括中國在第一階段協議下承諾購買2000億美元美國商品，都未能完全兌現。盡管如此，新的框架仍然為更多……提供了一條潛在的途徑。

未來將進行實質性談判。

2025年5月7日：中美官員將於本周六和周日在日內瓦會晤
中國外交部證實，中國國務院副總理何立峰將於5月9日至12日訪問瑞士期間，在日內瓦會見美國財政部長斯科特·貝森特和美國貿易代表傑米森·格裏爾。

這將是自特朗普挑起全球貿易戰以來中美官員的首次會晤。這場貿易戰最終導致美國對中國商品征收145%的關稅，對中國商品征收125%的反關稅。

中國商務部在一份聲明中表示，中方同意舉行此次會晤，“是在充分考慮全球預期、中方利益以及美國業界和消費者呼聲的基礎上”。聲明還警告稱，如果美國希望通過談判解決爭端，就必須“正視單邊關稅措施對自身和世界造成的嚴重負麵影響”，中國也絕不會同意任何“以談判為幌子繼續進行脅迫和訛詐的企圖”。

貝森特在接受福克斯新聞采訪時表示，當前局勢“不可持續”，雙向關稅相當於“禁運”。他還表示，他認為此次會談將更多地致力於“緩和緊張局勢”，而非達成貿易協議。當被問及美國是否會考慮在此期間降低對華關稅稅率以示誠意時，貝森特表示，“所有選項都擺在桌麵上”，但如果未能達成協議，特朗普將樂意像對待其他貿易夥伴一樣對待中國，“並將關稅金額再次提高”。

此次會談標誌著數周來有關談判正在進行的傳聞之後，美中兩國取得了重大外交突破。 5月2日，中國商務部向媒體證實，特朗普政府已尋求向中方“傳遞信息”，中方“目前正在評估”美方就貿易談判所做的努力。最近幾周，美國官員和總統本人均表示，美方正在就關稅和貿易問題與中方進行談判，但中方否認正在進行任何談判。

在接受福克斯新聞采訪時，貝森特還表示，美國“不希望與中國脫鉤”。不過，他澄清說，雖然美國將繼續從中國購買紡織品和鞋類等低價值商品，但美國確實希望在影響國家安全的“戰略性產業”方麵與中國脫鉤，並表示美國將尋求“帶回”鋼鐵、半導體和醫藥等國內戰略和精密製造產品。

2025年4月22日至24日：特朗普政府暗示未來幾周將根據協議降低關稅，但與中國的談判仍未啟動
特朗普政府已表示，可能在不久的將來降低對華關稅，但這一決定將取決於潛在的談判和貿易協議。

特朗普總統周二告訴記者，對中國商品征收的145%關稅可能會下調。據CNN報道，特朗普告訴記者，“145%的關稅非常高，但不會那麽高”，並且“會大幅下降，但不會為零”。

此前，美國財政部長斯科特·貝森特在當天早些時候的一次閉門會議上對一群投資者表示：“沒有人認為目前的145%和125%的關稅現狀是可持續的，因此我認為，在不久的將來，貿易緊張局勢將會緩和。”

周三，特朗普告訴記者，他將在未來幾周內宣布對包括中國在內的貿易夥伴征收新的關稅，但具體稅率“取決於他們”。他還補充說，如果美國未能與任何公司或國家達成協議，“我們將自行設定關稅”。

特朗普政府此前還表示，美國目前正在與中國就一項潛在的貿易協議進行談判。同樣在周三，他還告訴記者，美國正在“積極”與中國進行對話。然而，這一說法遭到了中國和特朗普團隊成員的否認。同樣在周三，財政部長告訴記者，談判尚未開始。然而，一位不願透露姓名的白宮官員告訴Politico，這兩份聲明並不矛盾，並澄清說，盡管美中之間“始終保持著積極的對話”和“開放的溝通渠道”，但財政部長不願誇大談判取得的進展。

中國外交部發言人郭家坤周四在例行記者會上也否認了雙方正在進行任何討論的說法，並告訴記者：“這些都不是事實。據我所知，中美雙方目前沒有就關稅問題進行任何磋商或談判，更不用說達成協議了。”

郭家坤在前一天的新聞發布會上表示，如果美國願意談判，中國的“大門是敞開的”，但他警告稱，如果美國繼續

對中國施壓不會達成協議，並表示“一邊施加極端壓力一邊不斷要求達成協議不是與中國打交道的正確方式，根本行不通”。

周三，《金融時報》報道稱，特朗普正在考慮將汽車零部件排除在對華關稅之外。然而，汽車零部件仍需繳納特朗普於4月初對所有進口至美國的汽車征收的25%的關稅。

2025年4月21日：美國商務部對從東南亞進口的中國製造太陽能電池征收高額關稅
周一，美國商務部宣布了對柬埔寨、馬來西亞、泰國和越南太陽能電池反傾銷 (AD) 和反補貼稅 (CVD) 調查的最終裁定。這些調查是在拜登政府於2024年5月應First Solar, Inc.、Hanwha Q CELLS USA, Inc.和Mission Solar Energy LLC的請求而啟動的。

初步反補貼稅和反補貼稅稅率分別於2024年10月和11月實施。

美國商務部稱，反補貼稅調查發現，“從柬埔寨、馬來西亞、泰國和越南進口的太陽能電池正在傾銷到美國市場，並獲得了可反補貼的補貼”。調查指控，在這四個國家開展業務的中國太陽能公司正在接受中國的補貼。

不同公司和國家的反補貼稅和反補貼稅稅率差異很大。例如，反補貼稅稅率從馬來西亞韓華Q CELLS公司進口產品的14.64%到柬埔寨四家公司進口產品的3403.96%不等。據路透社報道，晶科能源馬來西亞產品的反補貼稅和反補貼稅合計稅率為41.56%，屬於最低稅率之一，而天合光能泰國產品的反補貼稅稅率則高達375.19%。

國際貿易委員會（ITC）是獨立於美國商務部的聯邦機構，該委員會必須在2025年6月2日之前就涉嫌傾銷活動和補貼對美國產業造成的損害作出最終裁定。如果ITC確認美國商務部的裁定，將實施最終的反傾銷關稅和反補貼稅率。

美國對中國太陽能電池征收關稅的曆史可以追溯到2012年，當時奧巴馬政府對中國太陽能產品征收了約36%的關稅。這導致美國從中國直接進口的產品急劇下降。為此，中國製造商試圖通過將生產轉移到不受關稅影響的東南亞國家來規避這些關稅。如果ITC最終確定新的關稅，預計將嚴重阻礙中國企業進入美國市場。據美國國際貿易管理局 (ITA) 稱，2023 年美國從柬埔寨、馬來西亞、泰國和越南進口了價值 119 億美元的太陽能電池。

2025 年 4 月 17 日：美國將對停靠美國港口的中國船舶征收費用
美國貿易代表辦公室 (USTR) 宣布，將開始對停靠美國港口的中國船舶征收費用，以反擊美國所謂的“中國為主導海事、物流和造船業而采取的不合理行為、政策和做法”。

這些費用標誌著拜登政府時期加強美國造船業舉措的延續。該決定與特朗普總統於 4 月 9 日簽署的行政命令 (EO) 相一致，該命令宣布美國的政策是“振興和重建國內海事產業和勞動力，以促進國家安全和經濟繁榮”。

根據該行政命令，“美國建造的商用船舶不到全球總量的1%，而中華人民共和國（PRC）建造了約一半的船舶。”

根據這項政策，該行政命令指示美國貿易代表辦公室“采取適當措施，執行與中國造船業相關的任何限製、費用、罰款或關稅”。

這些費用是在拜登政府於一年前啟動的一項301條款調查之後征收的。該調查審查了“中國長期以來試圖在海事、物流和造船業占據主導地位的行為，列舉了中國為實現這些目標而使用不公平、非市場化的政策和做法”。調查結果於2025年1月16日公布，結論是“中國瞄準海事、物流和造船業以謀求主導地位是不合理的”。

美國貿易代表辦公室於3月24日至26日就調查結果提出的擬議行動舉行了公開聽證會。

這些費用將分兩個階段實施。

第一階段將於4月17日起180天後開始。在此期間，費用為0美元。此後，以下費用將分階段實施：

中國船舶所有人和運營商的費用：費用將根據每趟美國航次的淨噸位（NT）計算，起價為50美元/NT，並在未來三年內逐步增加至140美元/NT。

中國建造船舶的運營商：收費將基於新台幣或集裝箱數量。對於抵港船舶，費用將從每新台幣18美元提高到每新台幣33美元。未來三年內，每個卸貨集裝箱的費用將從120美元提高到250美元。
外國建造汽車運輸船的費用：為鼓勵使用美國建造的汽車運輸船，非美國建造船舶的運營商將被收取每集裝箱當量單位(CEU) 150美元的費用。
第二階段將於三年後開始：

為鼓勵使用美國建造的液化天然氣(LNG)船舶，美國將開始對外國船舶運輸LNG實施有限的限製。這些限製將在22年內逐步增加。
隨後可能會采取進一步的行動來限製中國造船業。該行政命令還呼籲美國貿易代表辦公室探討支持美國海運業的更多措施，包括可能對岸邊起重機和其他貨物裝卸設備征收關稅。美國貿易代表辦公室目前正在就這些提案征求公眾意見。

針對美國貿易代表辦公室4月17日的聲明，中國商務部（MOFCOM）表示，中方“強烈不滿並堅決反對”該決定。商務部發言人在接受媒體采訪時表示，此舉是單邊主義和保護主義的，是一種歧視性、非市場化的做法，違反了世貿組織規則，損害了中國企業的利益，擾亂了供應鏈，破壞了基於規則的國際貿易體係。發言人還指出，在聽證會上，包括國際聲音在內的大多數行業代表都反對該措施，但美方仍然“堅持單邊行動，出台了相關限製措施”。

發言人還警告稱，中方將密切關注事態發展，並“采取必要措施維護自身權益”，並提出了可能的反製措施。

2025年4月11日：美國對來自中國的智能手機、電腦及其他電子產品免征關稅
特朗普於周五簽署行政命令，豁免一係列電子產品及零部件的互惠關稅，包括電腦（含組裝所需的零部件）、智能手機、平板顯示器、固態硬盤、電腦顯示器、各類半導體和集成電路。該豁免自4月5日起追溯生效。

目前，美國唯一仍在生效的互惠關稅是對中國商品征收的125%關稅，這意味著該豁免適用於這些來自中國的產品。

雖然這些商品免征125%的互惠關稅，但特朗普2月份對中國征收的20%關稅仍將繼續生效。此外，在拜登政府的領導下，美國對中國半導體征收50%的關稅，該關稅將於2025年生效。

特朗普還警告稱，這項豁免並非永久性的，並表示即將啟動的國家安全關稅調查將重點關注半導體和電子產品供應鏈。

2025年4月11日：中國將對美商品的關稅稅率提高至125%，並表示將不再對美加征關稅作出回應
中國國務院關稅稅則委員會周五宣布，將對美國進口商品的關稅稅率從84%進一步提高至125%，與特朗普4月9日對華實施的對等關稅稅率保持一致。新的關稅稅率將於4月12日生效。

該聲明還再次指出，美國對華征收異常高額關稅“嚴重違反國際貿易規則”，是“單邊霸淩和脅迫”行為。

值得注意的是，該公告還表示，鑒於現行關稅稅率下，中國無法繼續從美國進口商品，中方將不再對美方進一步加征關稅做出回應。

然而，外交部發言人李健在周五的例行記者會上重申，如果美方繼續升級貿易戰，“中方將戰鬥到底”，並且“中方不願打，但也不怕打”。他還呼籲在“平等、相互尊重、互惠互利”的基礎上，通過對話談判解決問題。

2025年4月10日：白宮澄清對華關稅稅率現為145%
白宮發言人周四向CNBC澄清，對華征收125%的對等關稅稅率是在4月2日之前對華征收20%關稅的基礎上額外加征的，最終關稅稅率將達到145%。

此外，CNBC記者發現，145%的關稅是最低關稅，這意味著它將在任何其他現有關稅的基礎上征收。這將包括特朗普第一任期內實施的301條款關稅，以及拜登對電動汽車、太陽能電池板、半導體和其他產品征收的關稅。

特朗普最初的行政命令是對包括中國在內的全球貿易夥伴征收互惠關稅，

免除了部分商品的互惠關稅，例如2月份實施的對鋼鐵和鋁征收25%的關稅。然而，實際上，這並不適用於中國，因為拜登政府已於2024年對來自中國的這些產品征收25%的關稅。

2025年4月9日：中國承諾提供政策支持，助力應對貿易戰影響
4月9日，中國國務院總理李強在與經濟專家和企業家座談會上強調，在中美貿易戰升級帶來的挑戰下，加強第二季度及以後經濟工作至關重要。

李強承諾采取更加積極有效的宏觀經濟政策，呼籲迅速落實現有措施，並及時出台新的定向刺激政策，以應對外部不確定性。他強調，要鞏固國內經濟周期，將擴大內需作為一項長期戰略。

關鍵優先事項包括穩定就業、增加居民收入、促進服務消費以及努力實現消費品現代化。李克強還強調，要大力推進科技創新與產業創新融合，提升供給質量和響應速度。

為支持企業發展，李克強呼籲全麵落實扶持政策，改進企業執法工作，並切實解決拖欠貨款、融資成本高、融資難等長期存在的問題。他表示，目標是構建更完善的營商環境和政策支持體係，幫助企業克服發展挑戰。

2025年4月9日：美國將最低限度關稅進一步提高至120%
在周三簽署的行政命令中，特朗普政府再次提高了對來自中國大陸和香港的最低限度包裹的關稅和費用，該命令將對華互惠關稅提高至125%。新的關稅規定如下：

對包裹申報價值征收120%的從價關稅（原為90%）；或
自5月1日起，每件商品的關稅為100美元（原為75美元），自6月1日起升至200新加坡元（原為150美元）。
2025年4月9日：美國將對華關稅進一步提高至125%，暫停對其他國家征收對等關稅
周三，特朗普總統在Truth Social網站上發表文章，宣布對華關稅將進一步提高至125%，立即生效。就在同一天，中國將對美商品的關稅提高至84%，與美國此前於4月9日生效的關稅稅率持平。

在同一篇文章中，特朗普宣布暫停對所有其他國家征收對等關稅90天，所有國家和地區的最低基準關稅仍為10%。

雖然中國尚未宣布針對最新升級的貿易戰的反製措施，但外交部發言人林堅在4月10日的例行新聞發布會上表示，“關稅戰和貿易戰沒有贏家”，並補充說“中國不想打，但也不怕打”。他還重申，如果美方繼續升級貿易戰，中方將“戰鬥到底”。

2025年4月9日：中國對美輸美商品加征84%關稅予以反製
中國財政部已將對美輸美商品的關稅稅率從34%提高至84%，以反製美國對華加征104%關稅。此次加征關稅正值美國對華商品加征104%關稅生效的同一天，與特朗普政府4月8日宣布的84%“對等”關稅稅率一致。

中國財政部在公告中稱，特朗普的升級關稅是“重重錯誤”，“嚴重侵犯了中國的合法權益，嚴重破壞了基於規則的多邊貿易體製”。

新的關稅稅率將於4月10日生效。截至本文撰寫時，美國尚未對中國最新的反製措施作出回應。

2025年4月9日：中國商務部將12家美國公司列入出口管製清單，並將6家公司列入不可靠實體清單
在特朗普對華商品加征104%關稅的同一天，中國商務部將另外12家美國公司列入出口管製清單，並將6家公司列入不可靠實體清單。

4月4日，商務部將16家美國公司列入出口管製清單，並將11家公司列入不可靠實體清單（參見4月4日的條目）。

被列入出口管製清單的公司包括American Photonics、Novotech, Inc.、Echodyne和Firestorm Labs, Inc.，這些公司均生產具有潛在（或明確）軍事用途的先進技術。商務部表示，將這些公司列入清單“是為了維護國家安全和利益，履行防擴散等國際義務”。

同時，被列入不可靠實體清單的六家公司包括Shield AI, Inc.、Sierra Nevada Corporation、Cyber

lux Corporation 和 Hudson Technologies Co. 六家公司中的四家已於4月4日被列入出口管製名單。

出口管製名單上的公司將無法從中國購買軍民兩用物品，而不可靠實體名單上的公司將被禁止從事與中國相關的進出口活動，並被禁止在中國進行新的投資。

2025年4月9日：特朗普將對華關稅提高至104%，最低限度關稅提高至90%
特朗普總統於周二簽署行政命令，將對華互惠關稅稅率從34%提高至84%，最終稅率達到104%。由於中國未能按照特朗普的要求在4月8日前取消對美國商品征收的34%關稅，因此加征了50%的關稅。 104%的關稅以及對其他國家征收的互惠關稅稅率於4月9日星期三生效。

除了提高統一關稅稅率外，該行政命令還提高了“微量”包裹（價值低於800美元的個人消費小包裹）的稅率和費用。4月2日，特朗普取消了對來自中國大陸和香港的包裹的“微量”豁免，這些包裹的關稅最初被提高到其價值的30%或統一稅率25美元（自6月1日起升至50美元）。自5月2日起，稅率將如下：

90%的從價稅（原為30%）；或
自5月2日起，每件郵件統一征收75美元的關稅（原為25美元），自6月1日起升至每件郵件150美元（原為50美元）。
外交部發言人林堅周二在例行新聞發布會上表示，“中方強烈譴責並拒絕”美方提出的額外50%關稅建議，並稱美方此舉是在進行“經濟霸淩”。他還表示，如果美方“執意打關稅和貿易戰，中方將堅決反擊到底”。

2025年4月8日：特朗普威脅對華加征50%關稅，口水戰升級
中國政府已就唐納德·特朗普進一步提高中國商品關稅的威脅進行反擊。

周一，特朗普在“真相社交”（Truth Social）網站上發表文章，威脅稱，如果中國不撤銷為報複特朗普對華加征關稅而宣布的34%關稅，中方將對中國商品加征50%的關稅。加征50%的關稅將於4月9日起實施，最終對華加征關稅稅率將達到104%。

中國商務部發言人周二上午在其官方網站上發布消息稱，中方“堅決反對”美方威脅加征50%關稅，如果美方一意孤行，“中方將堅決采取反製措施，維護自身權益”。發言人還稱，美方的威脅是“錯上加錯”，是對中國的“訛詐”，並表示中方將“堅決鬥爭到底”。同時，發言人也呼籲美方“在相互尊重的基礎上，通過平等對話妥善解決與中方的分歧”。

2025年4月4日：特朗普簽署行政令，推遲實施TikTok禁令
特朗普周五簽署了第二項行政令，將TikTok禁令的實施期限再推遲75天，比禁令生效日期提前了一天。這是特朗普簽署的第二項行政命令，旨在推遲TikTok撤資法案規定的“禁止或出售”期限。該法案於2024年4月由前總統喬·拜登簽署成為法律。

據報道，TikTok的所有者字節跳動即將與特朗普政府達成協議，按照該法案的要求出售TikTok的美國部分。然而，由於4月2日宣布對中國商品加征34%的互惠關稅，這項交易泡湯了。

現在看來，中國政府很可能會試圖利用出售TikTok作為與美國進行任何潛在貿易談判的籌碼。

2024年4月4日：中國市場監管總局對杜邦公司啟動反壟斷調查
中國國家市場監管總局（SAMR）在其網站上發布簡短聲明，宣布已對美國化工巨頭杜邦公司在中國的子公司杜邦中國集團有限公司展開反壟斷調查，原因是該公司涉嫌違反中國《反壟斷法》。盡管SAMR並未提供任何關於對杜邦公司展開調查的依據，但根據美國證券交易委員會（SEC）網站上發布的通知，此次調查與杜邦公司的Tyvek業務有關。Tyvek是一種注冊商標的合成聚乙烯材料，廣泛應用於各種民用和軍用領域。

據中國媒體報道，杜邦公司一直壟斷著這種材料，並試圖利用訴訟手段壓製那些開發出類似性能新技術的中國小型企業。

此次調查的宣布很可能是為了回應特朗普4月2日對中國加征34%的關稅。繼特朗普2月初對中國加征10%的關稅後，國家市場監督管理總局對穀歌公司涉嫌違反《反壟斷法》展開調查。

2025年4月4日：中國將對所有美國商品加征34%的關稅，並對美國企業實施出口限製和製裁
中國國務院關稅稅則委員會周五發布公告，宣布對所有從美國進口的商品加征34%的關稅。所有現行的保稅和減免稅政策均保持不變。

新關稅將於2025年4月10日起生效。但是，4月10日之前發貨並在4月10日至5月13日期間抵達中國的貨物將不適用新稅率。

這一稅率與特朗普政府4月2日對中國征收的34%關稅完全一致。然而，對中國征收的這一稅率是在特朗普此前征收的20%關稅基礎上額外征收的，這意味著4月9日對等關稅生效時，對中國的最終關稅稅率將達到54%。

中國對美國商品征收的34%的稅率也將高於其他適用商品的現有關稅。

同日，中國商務部和海關總署對七種稀土元素實施出口限製，包括釤、釓、鋱、鏑、鑥、鈧和釔的各種衍生物。商務部發言人表示，這些物項具有“軍民兩用屬性”，出口管製旨在“更好地維護國家安全和利益，履行防擴散等國際義務”。

商務部還將16家美國公司列入“出口管製清單”，將11家美國公司列入“不可靠實體清單”。

此舉的明確動機是“維護國家安全和利益，履行防擴散等國際義務”。被列入出口管製清單的公司大多為國防企業，包括High Point Aerotechnologies、Sierra Nevada Corporation、Hudson Technologies Co.和Cyberlux Corporation。被列入不可靠實體清單的公司包括Skydio Inc.、BRINC Drones, Inc.和Red Six Solutions。商務部發言人表示，這些公司“不顧中方強烈反對，與台灣開展所謂的軍事技術合作，嚴重損害中國國家主權、安全和發展利益”。

被列入出口管製清單的公司將被禁止從中國采購部分商品和產品。同時，被列入不可靠實體名單的公司被禁止從事與中國相關的進出口活動，並且不得在中國進行任何新的投資。

2025年4月2日：特朗普重啟對中國包裹的最低限度豁免，自5月2日起生效
周三，就在美國對中國進口商品的關稅稅率提高至54%的同一天，唐納德·特朗普總統簽署了一項行政命令，再次終止對來自中國大陸和香港的包裹的最低限度豁免。

最低限度豁免允許低價值包裹（價值低於800美元）免關稅或免檢查進入美國。據分析人士稱，2024年，每天約有400萬個包裹根據這項豁免進入美國，其中許多來自中國電商公司。

特朗普此前曾試圖在2月1日的關稅方案中撤銷這項豁免，但在一周內又撤銷了這一決定。 2月7日，由於美國物流中心和海關倉庫出現混亂，白宮發布了一項修正案，推遲了這一變化。美國郵政局此前也曾暫停接收來自中國大陸和香港的國際包裹，但很快改變了主意。

最新的行政命令聲稱，目前已建立“完善的體係”來評估和征收入境包裹的關稅。因此，美國將從2025年5月2日起對來自中國大陸和香港的小額包裹征收關稅。

特朗普政府辯解稱，中國托運人利用“最低限度”渠道進行欺騙性運輸，以此為這一舉措辯護。該行政命令指出，一些中國出口商“隱藏非法物質並掩蓋包裹的真實內容”，利用“最低限度”處理相關的有限篩查來逃避檢測。白宮將此與對芬太尼販運的更廣泛擔憂聯係起來，並聲稱芬太尼販運部分是通過這些小包裹進行的。

根據新規，來自中國大陸和香港的包裹將征收以下關稅：

郵件申報價值的30%將作為從價稅。
具體

關稅：
2025年5月2日至5月31日期間，每件商品25美元
2025年6月1日起，每件商品50美元
該行政命令指示商務部長評估該行政命令對美國消費者和企業的潛在影響，並就是否應將豁免期延長至澳門提出建議，以“防止規避該行政命令”。

預計豁免期的終止將對Shein、Temu和亞馬遜等在線零售商以及依賴低成本中國進口產品的美國小型企業產生廣泛影響。分析人士警告稱，該決定還將影響數百萬美國消費者，因為積壓的貨物和新的檢查程序會導致價格上漲，並造成海關延誤。

2025年4月2日——特朗普全麵征收關稅，將中國進口關稅提高至54%

2025年4月2日，唐納德·特朗普總統宣布全麵改革美國貿易政策，對來自多個國家的進口產品征收高額關稅。這項名為“解放日”的舉措旨在解決貿易失衡問題，並促進國內產業發展。

主要亮點包括：

普遍關稅：所有進入美國的進口產品將征收10%的基準關稅。

針對中國的產品征收特定關稅：中國進口產品將在現有20%的關稅基礎上額外征收34%的關稅，最終總關稅稅率達到54%。

對其他國家征收關稅：越南、泰國、柬埔寨、歐盟和日本將分別征收46%、36%、49%、20%和24%的新關稅。

特定行業關稅：將對外國汽車、汽車零部件、鋼鐵和鋁加征25%的關稅。

10%的統一進口關稅將於2025年4月5日生效。針對特定國家的額外“互惠”關稅將於2025年4月9日生效。對外國汽車、汽車零部件、鋼鐵和鋁加征25%的關稅將於2025年4月3日午夜生效。

該聲明引發全球金融市場劇烈波動。分析人士對潛在的通脹壓力和國際貿易中斷表示擔憂。支持者認為這些措施將振興美國製造業並減少對外國商品的依賴，但批評者警告稱，貿易緊張局勢將升級，受影響國家可能采取報複行動。隨著形勢發展，建議各界利益相關者密切關注政策變化，並評估其對國際貿易和經濟穩定的潛在影響。

2025年3月26日——美國貿易代表傑米森·格裏爾與中國國務院副總理何立峰舉行視頻通話
3月26日，美國貿易代表傑米森·格裏爾與中國國務院副總理何立峰舉行視頻通話，討論中美經貿關係。根據美國貿易代表辦公室（USTR）的通報，格裏爾強調特朗普總統致力於重振貿易政策，以加強國內產業，維護國家安全，並確保美國工人的公平競爭。他還對美國認為不公平且反競爭的中國貿易行為表示擔憂。

同時，根據中國國務院的通報，何立峰副總理表達了中方對美國加征關稅的擔憂，特別是與芬太尼相關問題和301調查相關的關稅。他敦促美方通過平等磋商解決貿易爭端。雙方一致認為，保持穩定的經濟關係符合雙方共同利益。

此次會晤是在特朗普對中國商品加征20%關稅的背景下舉行的，這仍然是雙邊貿易談判的關鍵議題。據報道，特朗普暗示他可能考慮降低對華關稅，以換取就TikTok達成協議。TikTok即將在4月5日的最後期限前出售，否則美國可能對其實施禁令。

2025年3月25日——美國商務部將50多家中國實體列入實體清單
美國商務部下屬的工業和安全局（BIS）將來自多個國家的80家實體列入清單，其中50多家來自中國。新聞稿稱，將這些公司列入清單的目的是限製中國獲取和開發用於軍事用途的高性能和百億億次計算能力以及量子技術，並阻礙中國發展高超音速武器。

這些實體尤其包括中國雲計算和大數據服務提供商浪潮集團的六家子公司，其中包括浪潮在台灣的子公司（浪潮台灣）。這些實體被列入名單是因為“它們為浪潮軍用超級計算機的開發做出了貢獻，特別是通過收購或試圖收購美國原產的物項，以支持中國政府和/或軍方的超級計算機項目”。

ry”。

浪潮集團於2023年被列入實體名單。

其他被列入名單的實體包括北京人工智能研究院（一家非營利性人工智能研究實驗室）、Nettrix信息產業（一家服務器製造商和IT係統提供商）以及速碼科技。

被列入實體名單的公司將受到出口限製，美國公司將無法在沒有許可證的情況下與這些實體開展業務。

外交部發言人郭家坤在周二的例行新聞發布會上稱，美國的最新行動“是對[美國]實體名單和其他出口管製措施的濫用”，違反了國際法。他還重申“中方將采取必要措施，堅決維護中國企業的合法權益”，並暗示可能采取報複措施。

2025年3月23日：李強總理會見美國參議員史蒂夫·戴恩斯
中國國務院總理李強在北京會見了共和黨參議員史蒂夫·戴恩斯以及一群美國企業高管，這是年度中國峰會的一部分。發展論壇。

根據會談紀要，李克強敦促中美加強溝通，並表示“雙方應該選擇對話而不是對抗，選擇合作共贏而不是零和博弈”。

他還強調了貿易在雙邊關係中的重要性，並警告說：“雙邊關係越是麵臨困難，維護和發展中美經貿合作就越重要。”

這是特朗普今年1月就任以來，中美官員首次會晤，正值貿易戰不斷升級，美國已對來自中國的商品加征20%的關稅。

在上屆特朗普政府時期，戴恩斯在中美第一階段貿易協定談判中發揮了重要作用，尤其是在維護農業利益方麵。

在例行記者會上，當被問及戴恩斯此行是否預示著特朗普和習近平可能舉行會晤時，外交部發言人毛寧表示：“我們……歡迎包括美國國會議員在內的各界人士訪華。”

2025年3月20日：美國國務院和財政部長對中國一家石油碼頭和煉油廠實施製裁
美國國務院周四對位於廣東的華英惠州大亞灣石化碼頭實施製裁，原因是該碼頭涉嫌“從一艘受製裁的船隻上購買並儲存伊朗原油”。與此同時，美國財政部（簡稱“財政部”）同時對位於山東的壽光魯清石油化工有限公司煉油廠實施製裁，原因是該煉油廠“購買並煉製了價值數億美元的伊朗原油”。

此外，美國財政部還對12家實體和1名個人實施了製裁，並將8艘船隻列為凍結財產（受製裁實體擁有的財產），據稱這些船隻是伊朗所謂的“影子船隊”的一部分，該船隊“向中國運送數百萬桶伊朗石油”。

這些製裁旨在終止伊朗的石油出口。美國聲稱，伊朗石油出口收入正在資助伊朗對美國盟友的襲擊，並幫助資助美國指定的恐怖組織。

外交部發言人毛寧在周五的例行新聞發布會上稱，此舉是“濫用非法單邊製裁和長臂管轄”，並呼籲美國停止“幹擾中伊正常經貿合作”。她還警告稱，中國將“采取一切必要措施，堅決維護我國企業的合法權益”。

2025年3月4日：中國對美國農產品加征關稅，反擊特朗普的關稅
中國外交部在特朗普將中國輸美產品關稅提高至20%的第二天，財政部宣布對美國關鍵農產品采取一係列反製措施。

對美國商品加征的關稅如下：

對雞肉、小麥、玉米和棉花征收15%的關稅。

對高粱、大豆、豬肉、牛肉、水產品、水果、蔬菜和乳製品征收10%的關稅。
財政部公告指出：“美方單方麵加征關稅，破壞多邊貿易體製，增加美國企業和消費者負擔，損害中美經貿合作基礎。”

關稅將於3月10日生效。

中國商務部在另一份公告中表示，中方已根據世貿組織爭端解決機製就美國最新一輪關稅上調提起訴訟，稱其違反了世貿組織規則，“破壞了中美經貿合作的基礎”。

針對美國農產品的行動是經過深思熟慮的。中國是全球最大的農產品進口國之一，也是美國大豆、玉米和高粱的主要買家。農產品是中美達成的貿易協議的核心組成部分。

2019年，中國與特朗普政府達成協議，承諾在兩年內從美國購買約2000億美元的農產品。

美國的農產品生產商也主要位於美國共和黨州，這意味著關稅將對特朗普的核心選民群體造成最嚴重的打擊。

2025年3月3日：特朗普將對中國商品的關稅提高至20%，將於3月4日生效
特朗普政府已於周一簽署行政命令，正式將對中國進口商品的關稅稅率從10%提高至20%。該行政命令指出，由於中國“尚未采取充分措施通過合作執法行動緩解非法毒品危機”，因此有必要提高最初於2月4日實施的10%關稅。

新的關稅稅率將於3月4日生效，與此前推遲的對加拿大和墨西哥征收的25%關稅生效的同一天。

官方通訊社《人民日報》的姊妹報《環球時報》周一報道稱，中國正考慮對美國農產品加征反製關稅。

2025年2月27日：特朗普威脅對中國商品加征10%關稅
特朗普總統在其社交媒體平台“真相社交”（Truth Social）上發布帖子宣布，將從3月4日起對中國進口商品加征10%的關稅，屆時對墨西哥和加拿大商品加征的25%關稅也將生效。特朗普在帖子中聲稱，從墨西哥和加拿大進入美國的芬太尼是由中國生產和供應的，暗示這是加征關稅的原因。

特朗普已於2月初對所有中國商品加征10%的關稅，這意味著實際關稅稅率將升至20%。

他還表示，2月13日宣布的對各國商品加征關稅的措施將於4月2日生效。

中國外交部發言人林堅在2月28日的例行記者會上表示，“芬太尼問題隻是美方對華加征關稅、施壓訛詐的借口”，“芬太尼問題是美方自己的問題”。

與此同時，商務部發言人表示：“中方將采取一切必要措施堅決反製，堅決捍衛自身合法權益”。

2025年2月21日——特朗普簽署備忘錄，以國家安全為由限製中國對美投資
周五，特朗普簽署了一份國家安全總統備忘錄（NSPM），指示美國外國投資委員會（CFIUS）限製與中國相關的投資者在美國投資科技、關鍵基礎設施、醫療保健、農業、能源、原材料和其他戰略領域。

該備忘錄聲稱，包括中國在內的外國對手“係統性地引導和協助對美國公司和資產的投資，以獲取尖端技術、知識產權和戰略產業的影響力”。

該備忘錄還呼籲製定新規則，以遏製美國對“推進中華人民共和國國家軍民融合戰略”的中國產業的投資，並阻止與中華人民共和國有關聯的個人收購關鍵的美國企業和資產。

除了限製對戰略產業的投資外，該備忘錄還呼籲限製購買敏感設施附近的農田和房地產。根據白宮的一份情況說明書，美國約有2%的農業用地歸外國實體和個人所有，而中國擁有超過35萬英畝的農田。

中國商務部在其網站上發布聲明，呼籲美國“停止將經貿問題政治化、武器化”，並警告稱，更嚴格的投資規則將削弱中國企業對美國市場的信心，並導致美國企業向中國的主要競爭對手讓步。

2025年2月13日——特朗普簽署對所有貿易夥伴征收互惠關稅的計劃
特朗普周四簽署了一份備忘錄，指示主要部長實施一項對所有貿易夥伴征收互惠關稅的計劃。

這項“公平互惠計劃”將審查與所有貿易夥伴的非互惠貿易關係，包括對美國產品征收關稅，對美國企業、工人和消費者征收不公平、歧視性或域外稅收（包括增值稅），非關稅壁壘或措施，包括補貼和監管要求，以及導致匯率偏離其市場價值的政策和做法。

美國貿易夥伴未對美國商品征收互惠關稅的例子在一份情況說明書中已有提及，例如歐盟對美國進口汽車征收10%的關稅，而美國對歐洲進口汽車征收2.5%的關稅。如果該計劃按計劃實施，從歐盟進口的汽車關稅將升至10%。

特朗普征收的關稅

對鋼鐵和鋁等產品征收的關稅，以及對中國商品征收的10%的關稅，都將是在互惠關稅之外的額外措施。

此次互惠行動針對的關稅和貿易壁壘種類繁多，這意味著對中國商品征收的進一步關稅可能非常廣泛。美國過去曾指責中國不公平地補貼各種商品的生產，損害了其國內產業的利益，而中國也對大多數商品和服務征收6%至13%的增值稅。

今年1月，美國貿易代表公布了對中國船舶補貼的調查結果，結論是中國“瞄準主導地位的行為通過削弱美國海事、物流和造船業的商業機會和投資，給美國商業造成了負擔或限製”。該報告進一步指出，“采取應對措施是適當的”。

作為對特朗普行動的回應，美國的主要貿易夥伴，例如歐盟，也可能會對美國商品采取反製措施。

2025年2月10日——特朗普稱已與習近平通話
特朗普周一接受福克斯新聞采訪時表示，自1月20日就職以來，他已與中國國家主席習近平及其團隊進行了通話，但未透露通話時間及內容。

特朗普補充說，他“很高興與習近平交談”，並表示雙方“私人關係非常好”。

中方尚未確認此次通話是否發生或何時進行，兩位領導人最後一次確認的通話是在1月17日。

白宮發言人上周表示，特朗普將在幾天內與習近平通話，但目前尚未公布會談進展。

2025年2月10日——特朗普宣布對鋼鐵和鋁進口征收25%的關稅
周一，特朗普總統簽署了一項公告，宣布對所有進口至美國的鋼鐵產品征收25%的從價關稅，並將鋁進口關稅從10%提高至25%。該關稅將“無一例外”適用於所有國家和地區的進口產品，並將於3月12日生效。

公告稱，特朗普於2018年對鋼鐵征收的25%關稅有效降低了美國對進口的依賴，並增加了國內供應的消費。然而，公告聲稱，特朗普和拜登政府期間與多個國家和實體談判達成的各種豁免和替代協議，已導致進口鋼鐵占美國消費的比例與首次征收關稅之前的水平相當。此外，該公告還指出，全球存在“產能過剩危機”，近年來中國鋼鐵出口的增加“正在取代其他國家的生產，迫使它們向美國出口更多鋼鐵製品及其衍生產品”。

因此，美國將終止與各貿易夥伴和實體達成的所有協議和豁免，並對所有進口鋼鐵恢複25%的關稅。

中國直接向美國出口的鋼鐵數量很少，到2024年僅占中國鋼鐵出口總額的0.8%。然而，據投資者網報道，2024年，中國向越南和加拿大等美國主要鋼鐵進口來源國出口的鋼鐵占中國鋼鐵出口總額的25.22%。由於該關稅在全球範圍內生效，它將間接影響中國通過這些第三國向美國轉口的鋼鐵，從而顯著影響中國的全球鋼鐵出口。

2025年2月9日——特朗普宣布計劃對所有貿易夥伴征收25%的鋼鐵和鋁關稅
周日，特朗普在空軍一號上對記者發表講話，宣布將對美國進口鋼鐵和鋁征收25%的額外關稅。據報道，這項新關稅將於周一正式宣布並生效，並將加征所有現有關稅。

2024年9月，拜登政府將中國鋼鐵和鋁產品進口關稅提高至25%。

近年來，中國對美鋼鐵和鋁出口量有所下降，僅占中國整體出口的一小部分。

除了鋼鐵和鋁關稅外，特朗普表示，他將於周二或周三宣布全球互惠關稅，並立即生效。

2025年2月7日——特朗普暫停終止最低限度例外的行政命令
特朗普政府周五發布了一項行政命令修正案，推遲了最低限度例外的終止時間。此前，該例外於2月4日突然實施，導致美國物流中心和海關倉庫陷入混亂。據估計，2024年每天有400萬個包裹根據最低限度例外進入美國，該例外允許價值低於800美元的包裹免於海關檢查和關稅。

ies。

該修正案規定，符合條件的包裹將享受免稅最低限度待遇，直至“建立起足夠的係統，能夠全麵、迅速地處理和收取關稅收入”。

2月4日，美國郵政局也宣布暫停接收來自中國大陸和香港的國際包裹，但第二天又撤銷了這一決定。

2024年2月4日——美國郵政局暫停所有來自中國大陸和香港的包裹
美國郵政局周二在其網站上發布通知，宣布將暫停接收來自中國大陸和香港的國際包裹，“直至另行通知”，該決定自當天起生效。信件和“扁平郵件”（大信封、新聞通訊和雜誌）不受影響。

2月1日，特朗普簽署了一項行政命令，除其他措施外，該命令暫停了允許價值低於800美元的包裹在進入美國時繞過海關檢查和關稅的最低限度豁免政策。暫停豁免的理由是為了防止芬太尼和化學前體通過這類小包裹進入美國。

暫停中國包裹將嚴重影響Shein、Temu和亞馬遜等在線零售商，以及無數小型零售企業，這些企業的商業模式很大程度上依賴於利用這一漏洞。此外，這還將對美國消費者產生直接影響，因為數百萬已發貨的包裹將被滯留在海關，滯留時間不確定。一位分析師告訴路透社，2024年，每天將有400萬個“最低限度”包裹抵達美國。

2024年2月4日——中國對美國進口商品加征關稅，並對稀土實施出口管製，以報複特朗普的關稅上調
特朗普政府對中國進口商品加征10%的關稅生效後不久，中國海關關稅委員會宣布對原產於美國的商品征收一係列報複性關稅。

這些措施包括：

對煤炭和液化天然氣征收15%的關稅；
對原油、農業機械、大排量轎車和皮卡征收10%的關稅。
此外，還將在現行適用稅率的基礎上加征相應的關稅。原有的保稅和減免稅政策保持不變，加征的關稅不予減免。這些關稅將於2月10日生效。

除提高關稅外，中國商務部和海關總署還宣布對25種稀土金屬實施出口管製，理由是“出於維護國家安全和利益，履行防擴散等國際義務”的需要。

受出口管製的商品包括鎢、碲、鉍和鉬的各種衍生物，這些材料是電子、航空航天和可再生能源等行業的關鍵材料。

雖然該聲明並未明確將出口管製與美國關稅聯係起來，但中國作為最大的稀土金屬生產國之一，使得這些產品在潛在的貿易戰背景下成為重要的談判籌碼。特朗普在就職第一天簽署的行政命令中呼籲“恢複美國的礦產主導地位”，其中包括擴大美國境內的采礦用地。他還努力擴大海外關鍵礦產的獲取渠道，包括威脅吞並格陵蘭島，以及最近要求烏克蘭以軍事援助換取稀土資源。

此外，特朗普政府對加拿大和墨西哥征收了25%的關稅，但經過談判後，這兩國均將實施時間推遲了30天。然而，中美之間尚未達成此類協議。據路透社報道，白宮新聞秘書卡羅琳·萊維特表示，特朗普預計將“在未來幾天”與習近平主席通話。

2024年2月4日——中國宣布對穀歌展開反壟斷調查，並將兩家美國公司列入不可靠實體清單
周二，中國國家市場監督管理總局（SAMR）宣布，已對穀歌因涉嫌違反中國《反壟斷法》展開調查。該聲明發布在其網站上，並未提供涉嫌違規的具體細節。此消息發布於美國對中國進口產品加征10%關稅生效後僅一分鍾。

盡管穀歌的搜索引擎自2011年以來就已停止在中國運營，其Gmail服務也於2014年終止，但部分穀歌服務和產品，例如穀歌Chrome瀏覽器，仍然在中國可用。

在穀歌反壟斷調查宣布的同時，中國商務部宣布將兩家美國大公司列入不可靠實體名單：生物科技巨頭 Illumina 公司和時尚集團 PVH 集團（Calvin Klein 和 Tomm 的母公司）。

希爾費格。

商務部表示，這兩家公司“違反正常的市場交易原則，幹擾與中國企業的正常交易，對中國企業采取歧視性措施，嚴重損害中國企業的合法權益”。

被列入不可靠實體清單將使這些公司麵臨一係列潛在處罰，包括進出口限製、投資限製、限製或禁止公司人員入境、吊銷外籍員工的工作、停留或居留許可，以及罰款。

近年來，Illumina 不斷擴大其在華業務，並於2022年在上海建立了首個生產基地。與此同時，PVH 集團在中國市場也實現了強勁增長，其2023年業績回顧中，以人民幣計算的收入同比增長了20%。

2025年2月1日——特朗普簽署行政命令，對中國進口商品加征10%關稅
特朗普總統簽署了一項行政命令，對進入美國的中國商品加征10%的關稅，表麵上是為了遏製芬太尼和其他非法物質的進口。加拿大和墨西哥也分別以同樣的理由被加征25%的關稅。白宮的一份情況說明書稱，這些額外關稅將持續征收，“直至[非法毒品]危機得到緩解”。

該情況說明書還指責中國“未能采取必要措施，阻止前體化學品流入已知的犯罪集團，並打擊跨國犯罪組織的洗錢活動”。

在拜登政府執政期間，中美加強合作，以應對芬太尼及其前體化學品從中國向美國出口的問題，並於2024年1月成立了中美禁毒工作組。該倡議是中美在多年外交僵局後就一係列問題恢複合作的關鍵部分，當時被視為拜登政府的輕鬆勝利。2024年4月，時任美國財政部長珍妮特·耶倫宣布啟動美國財政部與中國人民銀行反洗錢聯合合作與交流機製。目前尚不清楚這些努力是否會在特朗普執政期間繼續下去。

除了關稅外，行政命令還宣布停止“最低限度豁免”，該豁免規定價值低於800美元的包裹免於海關檢查和關稅。特朗普政府將芬太尼及其前體化學品的非法進口歸咎於低於這一門檻的小包裹。

暫停最低限度豁免可能會對 Shein 和 Temu 等中國電商巨頭造成重大影響，這些公司在美國擁有龐大的客戶群。他們的商業模式嚴重依賴這一漏洞，將低價值包裹直接從中國製造商運送到美國消費者手中。

該關稅將於美國東部時間 2 月 4 日星期二 00:01（中國標準時間 13:01）生效。

針對此次關稅，中國外交部發言人表示，中方將“采取必要反製措施，捍衛自身合法權益”，並稱此舉違反了世貿組織規則。中國商務部也表示將向世貿組織提起訴訟，並威脅將采取反製措施“維護自身權益”。

2025年1月22日——特朗普威脅自2月1日起對中國芬太尼產品征收10%關稅
2025年1月22日，美國總統唐納德·特朗普在白宮的一次活動中宣布，計劃最早於2月1日起對中國進口產品征收10%的關稅，理由是擔心芬太尼的運輸。他指責中國向墨西哥和加拿大出口芬太尼，並聲稱這些芬太尼隨後被販運到美國。對此，中國外交部發言人毛寧在例行新聞發布會上表示，中方堅決反對貿易戰和關稅措施，並強調“貿易戰沒有贏家，中方將堅決維護國家利益”。

2025年1月20日——特朗普第二任期伊始，重點關注美中貿易關係
唐納德·特朗普總統在其第二任期伊始發布了一項廣泛的貿易政策指令，優先考慮對美國的貿易關係進行係統性審查，其中重點關注中國。盡管特朗普政府沒有宣布立即加征關稅，但表示有意評估北京方麵對2020年貿易協定的遵守情況，並解決貿易失衡問題。

主要進展包括：

貿易備忘錄公告：該備忘錄於特朗普就職後不久發布，指示聯邦機構審查主要貿易夥伴的貿易逆差和不公平做法，中國是重點關注對象。
2020年貿易協定正在審查中：特朗普的指令包括評估中國對2020年貿易協定的遵守情況，該協定要求北京方麵每年增加2000億美元的美國商品采購——這一承諾在很大程度上

由於疫情，目標未能實現。
避免立即征收關稅：與競選時承諾對中國進口產品征收高額關稅的言論相反，美國政府似乎正在采取更具戰略性的方法。分析人士認為，這可能會在短期內穩定金融市場。
預計實施全球關稅：貿易專家認為，特朗普仍致力於將全球關稅作為其經濟議程的一部分。預計美國政府將援引232條款或301條款等法律，采取未來的貿易行動。特朗普在關稅問題上采取的審慎態度表明，談判可能存在機會，但美國政府更廣泛的目標——例如敦促中國履行貿易承諾——可能會導致新的緊張局勢。該指令強化了美國政府追究中國不公平行為責任的意圖，保持與特朗普第一任期貿易戰略一致的施壓力度。
特朗普第二任期的審慎開局反映出其政府繼續致力於重塑美中貿易關係，這預示著雙邊關係未來將麵臨挑戰。

2025年1月20日——特朗普簽署行政命令，將TikTok禁令推遲75天
2025年1月20日，前總統唐納德·特朗普簽署了一項行政命令，將TikTok禁令的執行時間再推遲75天。

根據該行政命令的條款，美國司法部將暫停執行《外國對手控製應用程序法案》。該法案在國會兩黨廣泛支持下獲得通過，並於2024年4月由前總統喬·拜登簽署成為法律。該法案要求TikTok要麽將其美國業務出售給美國或其盟友的買家，要麽麵臨禁令，禁令將於2025年1月19日生效。

特朗普就職前曾在社交媒體上承諾將采取行政措施，阻止該法案生效。在特朗普宣布這一消息後，TikTok恢複了現有用戶的訪問權限，此前該應用從周六晚到周日下午已下線超過12個小時。

TikTok 在 75 天的延期後是否能繼續在美國運營尚不清楚。然而，此次延期至少為 TikTok 的中國母公司字節跳動提供了更多時間來為該平台找到潛在買家。

2025 年 1 月 20 日——特朗普就收回巴拿馬運河發表評論，並提及太空探索的“昭昭天命”
2025 年 1 月 20 日，新上任的總統唐納德·特朗普表示，美國將收回巴拿馬運河的控製權。在就職演說中，特朗普重申了他的指控，即巴拿馬違背了 1999 年運河移交時做出的承諾，並涉嫌允許中國對其運營施加影響。他表示：“我們沒有把它交給中國。我們把它交給了巴拿馬，現在我們要把它收回來。”雖然特朗普沒有具體說明美國將何時或如何實現這一目標，但他此前曾暗示可能采取軍事行動，這一言論引起了支持者和批評者的關注。

特朗普關於巴拿馬運河的言論，是其關於美國領土擴張觀點的更廣泛討論的一部分。他援引了“昭昭天命”的概念，該概念在曆史上與19世紀美國領土擴張聯係在一起，並將其與未來的太空探索目標聯係起來，並特別指出美國最終的目標是將宇航員登陸火星。一些批評人士擔心，這種言論可能會鼓勵俄羅斯和中國等其他國家在各自的地緣政治形勢下采取更為強硬的行動。另一些人則猜測，特朗普的言論可能是為了在談判中占據強勢地位而采取的戰略舉措。

特朗普在講話中還重申了將墨西哥灣更名為美國灣的計劃，並對巴拿馬運河的轉讓表示不滿，稱其為“愚蠢的禮物”。特朗普政府的批評主要基於對巴拿馬不公平待遇的指控，尤其是在航運成本方麵。盡管巴拿馬否認存在任何不公平做法，並強調所有船隻，包括來自中國的船隻，都受到平等對待。雖然中國並不控製這條運河，但總部位於香港的長江和記實業旗下的一家子公司管理著該運河加勒比海和太平洋入口附近的兩個港口，這一直是中美關係中的一個爭議點。

巴拿馬運河是全球貿易和美國的重要水道，在亞洲貨物運輸和美國能源出口中發揮著關鍵作用。特朗普發表講話後，巴拿馬海事局宣布對管理運河附近港口的巴拿馬港口公司進行審計。

2025年1月20日——埃隆·馬斯克與中國國家副主席在特朗普第二任期就職典禮前夕舉行會晤
在唐納德·特朗普第二任期就職典禮前夕，特斯拉首席執行官埃隆·馬斯克在華盛頓特區與中國國家副主席韓正舉行會晤，這引發了人們對馬斯克在塑造中美關係中所扮演角色的新一輪猜測。據中國國家主席習近平稱，馬斯克將與中國國家副主席韓正舉行會晤，以推動兩國關係發展。

韓正邀請包括特斯拉在內的美國企業深化在華投資，加強經濟聯係。據報道，馬斯克重申了特斯拉致力於擴大與中國合作的承諾。中國市場至關重要，貢獻了特斯拉近四分之一的營收，其最具生產力的製造中心也位於上海。

此次會晤恰逢中國與美國商界領袖的廣泛會談，表明中國有意在維持經濟夥伴關係的同時穩定中美關係。馬斯克的商業利益與中國息息相關，他被認為是特朗普政府與中國政府之間的潛在中間人。目前，雙方在貿易和技術方麵的緊張關係尚未解決，包括圍繞馬斯克可能參與TikTok合資企業的猜測。

在特朗普準備重新調整貿易政策之際，此次會晤凸顯了商業外交與地緣政治在中美關係中的關鍵交匯。

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US-China Relations in the Trump 2.0 Era: A Timeline

July 18, 2025 Posted by China Briefing

https://www.china-briefing.com/news/us-china-relations-in-the-trump-2-0-implications/

 

This timeline was created on January 21, 2025, and was last updated on July 18, 2025. 
On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. His return to the White House signals a shift in US-China relations. Building on the aggressive stance of his first term, Trump 2.0 is expected to challenge China with a more transactional and unpredictable approach. The economic, security, and diplomatic consequences of his policies will not only reshape US-China ties but also influence the broader global geopolitical landscape.

Trump is expected to intensify the trade confrontations that defined his first administration, potentially escalating tariffs and sanctioning Chinese companies in an effort to achieve greater economic self-sufficiency. However, his focus on America’s immediate interests may leave little room for long-term strategic alliances, making his policy more difficult to predict. As Trump looks to navigate his second term amid a tumultuous political backdrop, China will need to adapt quickly to a US president who is more focused on leveraging short-term victories than on pursuing traditional diplomatic strategies.

This timeline will track the key developments in US-China relations under Trump 2.0, examining the potential consequences for China’s economy and other key aspects, while offering insights into the strategies that both Washington and Beijing will adopt in the face of a renewed geopolitical rivalry.

Previously, China Briefing tracked and documented the US-China trade war in the Trump era and the evolution of US-China relations in the Biden Era.

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US-China relations in the Trump 2.0 era

July 18, 2025: US-China relations show signs of thaw as Trump signals softer stance

Recent developments suggest a potential easing in US-China trade tensions, as President Donald Trump adopts a more conciliatory tone toward Beijing ahead of a possible in-person meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to a Bloomberg report published Wednesday, Trump is now prioritizing quick purchase deals with China—similar to those reached during his first term—over deeper structural changes aimed at correcting trade imbalances. In internal meetings, Trump has reportedly been “the least hawkish voice in the room,” signaling a shift in strategy aimed at securing tangible wins and a renewed trade agreement.

Sources also indicated that the United States may extend its current tariff truce with China—originally set to expire on August 12—by an additional three months. This follows a series of softer moves by the Trump administration in recent weeks, including lifting restrictions on Chinese access to US electronic design automation (EDA) software and allowing Nvidia to resume exports of its H20 AI chips to China.

Trump also recently praised China for making “big steps” on addressing the US fentanyl crisis—marking a notable shift in tone. Earlier this year, China’s alleged role in fentanyl exports was cited as a key justification for sweeping 20 percent tariffs on Chinese goods.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also eased concerns, telling business leaders not to worry about the upcoming August 12 deadline. Instead, Bessent described US-China talks as being in a “very good place” and expressed hope for a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in the near future.

With both sides dialing back economic pressure and signaling willingness to cooperate, there’s cautious optimism that US-China relations could stabilize—especially if momentum builds ahead of Trump’s rumored visit to China.

July 10, 2025: Trump announces 50% tariff on copper imports

In a post on Truth Social, President Trump announced that he will impose a 50 percent tariff on all imports of copper, effective August 1, in an effort to “once again, build a DOMINANT Copper Industry”.

No official information has been released about the tariff as of writing, so it is not clear which copper articles will be subject to the tariff.

According to data from the US Census Bureau, the US imported around US$17.1 billion worth of copper and copper articles in 2024, of which under 3 percent came from China (US$484.2 million). The vast majority of the US’s copper imports came from Chile (35.7 percent) and Canada (23.3 percent).

China still dominates the global copper supply chain. In 2024, China produced 23 million tons of copper and 13.6 million tons of refined copper, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. China also exported a total of US$14 billion worth of copper and copper articles in 2024, per data from China Customs. China’s largest export markets for copper in 2024 were Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, where it is used for the production of key products and technologies, including semiconductors, smartphones, batteries, and solar and wind energy technology.

Without specific details on which products will be subject to the duty, it is unclear what the impact will be on China’s copper industry. While China’s direct exports of copper to the US are small, it is clear that large amounts of Chinese-made copper are used in end products that are destined for the US. A broader implementation of the tariff that targets products with copper content could have a much higher knock-on effect on China’s exports.

July 3, 2025: US lifts export ban on key chip design software and technology to China

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the US Department of Commerce has informed companies providing electronic design automation (EDA) software that they can proceed to export their services to China without a license, the implicated companies have confirmed to reporters.

On May 23, the “big three” American EDA software providers – Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens – received letters from the BIS stating that they would require export licenses in order to provide their chip design software and technology to China.

In a statement published on its website, Siemens said it had been notified by the BIS that the export restrictions on EDA software and technology to customers in China are no longer in place. The company added that as a result, it has “restored full access to software and technology [..] and we have resumed sales and support to Chinese customers.”

The lifting of the EDA export ban is likely tied to the deal that was reached between the US and China last week. The deal, which has not been released to the public but has been confirmed by both US and Chinese officials, will see China approve export licenses for rare earths and other critical materials in exchange for the US lifting its countermeasures taken against China.

According to Reuters, the US also sent letters to ethane producers to “rescind a restrictive licensing requirement on exports to China imposed in late May and June”, in another likely effort to uphold their end of the deal.

June 27, 2025: US and China officials say deal to speed up rare earth licenses has been reached

On Thursday, June 26, Trump told reporters that the US had signed a deal with China the previous day to facilitate the export of rare earths to the US. This was later reaffirmed by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who, speaking to Bloomberg on Friday, stated that China would begin to provide rare earths to the US in exchange for the US taking down its countermeasures against China.

On Friday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) confirmed some of the details, stating that China will “approve the export applications of controlled items that comply with the conditions set out in the law” in exchange for the US lifting a “series of restrictive measures taken against China”.

While the details of the deal have not yet been released, the statements from officials suggest significant progress has been made on one of the central issues stymying trade talks ahead of the August 12 deadline set in the Geneva deal reached in May.

In the broader context of US-China trade relations, the scope of the deal is still likely to be limited, focusing on implementing the agreements made in the Geneva deal, which mainly rolls back actions taken since April 2, rather than tackling long-standing disputes.

June 16, 2025: US Commerce Department expands 50% steel tariff to household appliances

On Monday, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the US Department of Commerce published a notice adding several household appliances to the tariff list of steel-derivative items, meaning they will be subject to an additional 50 percent tariff when imported into the US. The new tariff, which will be levied on the proportion of steel contained in the product rather than the entire item, will come into effect on June 23, 2025.

The notice follows a proclamation signed by President Trump on June 3 raising the tariff rate on steel and aluminum products, as well as derivative articles, from 25 to 50 percent, effective June 4.

The “steel derivative items” now subject to the 50 percent tariff are:

1. Combined refrigerator-freezers (HTSUS: 8418.10.00)
2. Small and large dryers (HTSUS: 8451.21.00 and 8451.29.00)
3. Washing machines (HTSUS: 8450.11.00 and 8450.20.00)
4. Dishwashers (HTSUS: 8422.11.00)
5. Chest and upright freezers (HTSUS: 8418.30.00 and 8418.40.00)
6. Cooking stoves, ranges, and ovens (HTSUS: 8516.60.40)
7. Food waste disposals (HTSUS: 8509.80.20)
8. Welded wire rack (HTSUS: 9403.99.9020)

The combined value of imports of products under these HTSUS subheadings from China in 2024 was almost US$3 billion, per data from ITC Trade Map. While the majority of these products will be taxed on their steel content, welded wire rack products will also be taxed on their aluminum content.

As the duty is only applied to the proportion of steel or aluminum contained in the product, it will not impact all household appliances entering the US equally. A representative from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) told Caixin that the tariff will negatively impact exporters of large appliances like washing machines that contain higher levels of steel, but will have limited reach on other product categories, noting that “the steel and aluminum content in many Chinese-made appliances typically ranges from 15% to 30%.”

June 11, 2025: US and China agree on trade “framework” following meetings in London; current tariff rates unchanged

Following two days of meetings between senior Chinese and US officials in London on June 9 and 10, the two sides have agreed on a framework agreement to uphold the terms of the Geneva trade deal reached in May.

Although details of the framework had not been released, Trump told reporters on Wednesday that “We made a great deal with China. We’re very happy with it,” adding that “We have everything we need, and we’re going to do very well with it.”

Speaking at a press briefing following the meetings, China International Trade Representative at the Ministry of Commerce, Li Chenggang, said that the two sides had “agreed in principle the framework for implementing consensus between the two heads of state during their phone talks on June 5, as well as those reached at Geneva talks”.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the deal with China is “done, subject to final approval” from Trump and Xi Jinping. He also suggested that disagreements over Chinese exports of rare earth metals have been resolved, stating that China will supply full magnets and any necessary rare earths “up front”. Trump also said that the US will provide China “what was agreed to”, which includes continuing to allow Chinese students to attend US universities, suggesting the US is stepping back from previous threats to revoke Chinese student visas and pausing new visa applications.

He also said that the US is getting “a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%”, suggesting that the current tariff arrangements will remain in place. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that the 55 percent tariff rate on China will remain unchanged.

The 55 percent tariff consists of the worldwide 10 percent minimum baseline tariff imposed since April 2, 2025, the 20 percent “fentanyl” tariffs imposed since March 4, 2025, and the 25 percent Section 301 tariffs on most Chinese goods in place since Trump’s first term in office.

Without more concrete details on the framework agreement, it is unclear exactly which terms have been agreed upon and whether the disagreements and misunderstandings surrounding rare earth metals (see June 9 entry) have been resolved.

June 9, 2025: US and China officials begin trade talks in London, focus likely to be on issuance of rare earth export licenses

On Monday, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with US counterparts, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in London for the first meeting of the “China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism“. This mechanism, as it has been called by the Chinese side, was established during the trade meetings held in May, which led to the Geneva trade deal.

The meetings will continue on Tuesday, and while little official information has been released, talks are likely to focus on resolving misunderstandings surrounding China’s issuance of rare earth export licenses.

As part of the Geneva trade deal, China agreed to suspend or remove non-tariff countermeasures it took against the US since Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs on April 2, 2025. However, there has been significant disagreement over the exact extent of China’s obligations under the agreement.

On April 4, China imposed export restrictions on seven types of rare earth metals that have “dual-use” attributes, requiring exporters to apply for an license to export these products. These restrictions apply worldwide, not just to exports to the US, and applications take 45 days to process, as prescribed in the Provisions on Export Control of Dual-Use Items.

It appears that the US side expected China to remove the license requirement entirely, or to significantly expedite the processing of applications for products headed for the US. However, as the restrictions apply to all countries, not just the US, and the processing timeline and requirements are stipulated in Chinese law, it was always highly unlikely that China would make such an accommodation for the US without further incentives.

China has already begun approving some export license applications.

The call held between Presidents Xi and Trump on June 5 seems to have cleared up some of these misunderstandings, but what exactly was discussed is not yet clear. China could yet provide some concessions on this issue if reciprocal arrangements are made. According to Reuters, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told reporters that “the U.S. was likely to agree to lift export controls on some semiconductors in return for China speeding up the delivery of rare earths”.

June 5, 2025: Xi and Trump hold phone call, indicate future in-person meeting

President Xi Jinping and President Trump spoke over the phone on Thursday, helping to diffuse mounting tensions over trade and export controls. The discussion came as both sides accused the other of failing to live up to the terms of the trade agreement reached in mid-May.

In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that the call, which lasted around and hour and a half, revolved around “some of the intricacies of our […] Trade Deal”, and resulted in “a very positive conclusion for both Countries.” While he did not provide many details, he said the two exclusively discussed trade matters, but added that “There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products”. This indicates that the two discussed China’s export restrictions on certain rare earth metals, one of the core sticking points in the trade negotiations.

Trump also said that Chinese officials and officials from the Trump administration will soon meet “at a location to be determined”, with the US side being represented by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Trump also claimed that Xi invited to Trump to visit China, to which Trump extended a reciprocal invite.

According to a statement published by Xinhua, Xi called for more dialogue and cooperation, stating that the US and China should “enhance dialogue in fields such as diplomacy, economy and trade, military, and law enforcement”.

Although Trump said the two only discussed trade matters, the Xinhua readout said that Xi warned the US to be cautious when handling the Taiwan issue, and “to avoid allowing a small number of “Taiwan independence” separatists from plunging the US and China into the dangerous situation of conflict and confrontation”.

According to the Xinhua readout, Trump stated that he had the utmost respect for Xi, and that the US welcomes China’s sustained economic growth. He also reiterated that the US will adhere to the One China policy.

May 31, 2025: Trump doubles steel and aluminum tariffs to 50% from June 4

President Trump has announced that the US will raise the tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the US from 25 percent to 50 percent starting June 4.

Trump first imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports arriving from all countries under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 in early February.

Many steel and aluminum products of Chinese origin are already subject to a 25 percent tariff under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The so-called 20 percent “fentanyl” tariff on Chinese goods imposed in February and March under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) will also apply to these goods. However, the “reciprocal” tariff (currently at 10 percent) will not apply, as goods subject to Section 232 tariffs have been excluded from this tariff.

Starting June 4, the final tariff rate on Chinese steel and aluminum products will be at least 70 percent. For products also covered by Section 301, the total rate will exceed 95 percent.

Chinese steel and aluminum have faced Section 301 tariffs since Trump’s first term, leading to a sharp decline in direct exports to the US in recent years. While the latest tariff hike is unlikely to significantly affect China’s direct shipments to the US, the global scope of the new rates could further hit Chinese steel and aluminum exports to third countries that re-export these products to the US.

May 29, 2025: US Commerce Department orders companies to stop exports of key chip materials and software to China, according to reports

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has ordered various American companies to cease providing key software and materials needed for the design and production of chips to China, according to media reports citing unnamed sources.

According to Reuters, the DOC will require these companies to receive a license before being permitted to export the products to China, and some licenses previously granted have been revoked.

Among the companies that received letters from the DOC’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) are Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens EDA, the “big three” in electronic design automation (EDA), a critical software needed for the design of semiconductors. These companies, which received the order a week ago, will now require licenses to sell their software to China.

Other products that have been targeted include chemicals for semiconductors, such as butane and ethane, as well as machine tools and aviation equipment, according to Reuters. However, the US government has not yet made the orders public.

A spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Monday, June 2 condemned the move, saying that it, along with the decision made on May 28 to start revoking the visas of Chinese students, “seriously violate the consensus reached by the two heads of state on January 17, seriously undermine the existing consensus of the Geneva talks, and seriously damage China’s legitimate rights and interests.”

Commenting on accusations from President Trump that China had “totally violated” the agreement reached in Geneva in May, the spokesperson said that the US “has turned the tables and unreasonably accused China of violating the consensus, which is seriously contrary to the facts”.

May 28, 2025: US State Department says it will start “aggressively” revoking Chinese students’ visas

A statement from the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields”. Visa criteria will also be revised to “enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.”

This move comes amid the US’s broader crackdown on international students as part of Trump’s agenda to reduce immigration to the US. A day earlier, Rubio had reportedly ordered US embassies and consulates to halt all new visa application appointments with international students, and that new procedures will be put in place to vet the students’ social media accounts. 

Last week, Trump attempted to prevent Harvard from sponsoring international student visas, although this has been temporarily halted by a judge. However, Trump officials told CNN on Wednesday that the State Department will now be reviewing all Harvard-afiiliated visas, including student, business, and work visas.

China has strongly condemned this announcement. In a statement to media on Thursday, Foreign Ministry Spokespoerson Mao Ning called the move “political and discriminatory practice by the United States” and that it will “fhas seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and interfered with normal cultural exchanges between the two countries”.

The spokesperson also said China has formally disputed the matter with the US.

May 28, 2025: US federal court blocks fentanyl and reciprocal tariffs, ruling Trump exceeded authority 

Judges at the US Court of International Trade on Wednesday ruled that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping tariffs on all global trade partners exceeded his authority, giving the administration 10 days to remove the reciprocal tariffs imposed since April 2, and the tariffs related to fentanyl trafficking placed on China, Canada, and Mexico..

The ruling was for two cases brought against the US government and its customs and trade agencies, one by a group of five small businesses and the other by 12 US states.

According to the court’s slip order, “The court does not read IEEPA to confer such unbounded authority [to impose unlimited tariffs on goods from nearly every country] and sets aside the challenged tariffs imposed thereunder.” Instead, the authority to impose such tariffs lies with Congress.

The Trump administration has appealed the ruling, with the possibility that the case will end up in the Supreme Court.

The ruling, if it stands, will impact the following tariffs currently imposed on China:

• The 20 percent “fentanyl” tariffs imposed since March 2025
• The “reciprocal” tariff imposed since April 2, 2025 (10 percent as of May 14, rising to 30 percent after 90 days)

The ruling will not affect sector-specific tariffs, such as the tariffs on steel, aluminum, and vehicles, as well as the China-specific Section 301 tariffs.

While the ruling has brought hope to many businesses and countries around the world, it is important to note that the decision is not final, and that the US government has other ways of imposing blanket tariffs on all goods and trade partners. Analysts at Goldman Sachs told CNBC that the administration could instead invoke Section 122 or Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, or Section 338 of the Trade Act of 1930. This means that the ruling will likely only be a temporary setback for the administration.

Nonetheless, the Trump administration had partly framed the sweeping tariffs as a bargaining tool in trade negotiations with key partners such as the EU, India, and China. This ruling significantly undermines the US’s negotiating position by casting doubt on whether the tariffs can be maintained at all.

May 20, 2025: US Department of Commerce Alleges China Unfairly Subsidizes Key Battery Materials in Preliminary Determination, Paving Way for Countervailing Duties of up to 721%

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) issued a preliminary affirmative determination in a countervailing duty investigation into active anode materials from China. The determination states that China is unfairly subsidizing producers of these key materials, with rates ranging from 6.55 percent to 721.03 percent, to the detriment of US producers.

The active anode materials, which include graphite and silicone materials, are crucial for the production of electric vehicle batteries. The investigation was petitioned by the American Active Anode Material Producers, an ad hoc trade association representing American graphite producers, in December 2024. According to Bloomberg, the petitioners initially sought anti-subsidy tariffs of up to 920 percent.

The DOC will issue its final determination on September 29, 2025, after which the International Trade Commission (ITC) will issue its final determination and final order on the duties in November 2025.

This paves the way for potential anti-subsidy tariffs of up the 721.03 percent on certain Chinese producers – namely Huzhou Kaijin New Energy Technology Corp., Ltd. and Shanghai Shaosheng Knitted Sweat – as well as a 6.55 percent tariff on all other Chinese companies

The DOC is concurrently conducting an antidumping duty investigation into active anode materials from China.

May 18, 2025: China Announces Anti-Dumping Tariffs of up to 74.9% on POM Copolymers from US, EU, Taiwan, and Japan

On May 18, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced a 74.9 percent anti-dumping tariff on US exports of polyformaldehyde copolymer (POM copolymer), following the conclusion of a year-long investigation. MOFCOM determined that US, EU, Taiwanese, and Japanese producers were dumping POM copolymers into the Chinese market at unfairly low prices, causing material injury to China’s domestic industry. The tariffs will take effect on May 19, 2025, and remain in place for five years.

POM copolymer is a high-strength thermoplastic used in products such as automotive parts, electronics, industrial machinery, consumer goods, medical equipment, and construction materials. It is valued for its durability, fatigue resistance, and ability to substitute for metals like copper and zinc. The tariffs apply specifically to products classified under Chinese customs codes 39071010 and 39071090.

The ruling imposes company-specific duties: all US exporters, including Ticona Polymers, face a uniform 74.9 percent rate. EU companies such as Celanese Production Germany are subject to a 34.5 percent tariff. Taiwanese firms Polyplastics Taiwan and Formosa Plastics received lower duties of 3.8 and 4 percent, respectively, while other Taiwanese exporters face 32.6 percent. Japanese firms, including Polyplastics Co. and Asahi Kasei, face duties of 35.5 and 24.5 percent, respectively.

Importers must pay the anti-dumping duties based on the customs-assessed value of the goods, with import VAT levied on the total value, including tariffs and duties. Deposits collected during the preliminary period from January 24 to May 18, 2025, will be converted into final anti-dumping duties. Overpayments will be refunded, while underpayments will not be collected.

May 13, 2025: US Commerce Department warns US companies against use of Chinese-made ICs, including specific Huawei Ascend chips

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the US Department of Commerce has issued new guidance for US companies and individuals, warning them against using Chinese-made advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs). The move comes just one day after the US and China reached a trade deal to lower reciprocal tariff rates and roll back other non-tariff countermeasures.

The original BIS announcement, released on May 12, initially warned companies against using the ICs “anywhere in the world”, but updated the guidance to remove this wording a day later.

The guidance claims that these ICs were “likely developed or produced in violation of U.S. export controls”, and their use therefore violates General Prohibition 10 (GP10) of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

The GP10 lists 10 prohibitions of the export, re-export, or in-country transfer of commodities, software, and technology subject to the EAR. GP10 also prohibits US companies and individuals from proceeding with a transaction if they know that such a transaction has or will involve an item that is in violation of the EAR.

The guidance states that the use of Chinese-made ICs, including specific Huawei Ascend chips, could violate the tenth prohibition of GP10 that bars any use or handling of items subject to US export controls if the person or company knows or has reason to know that they are linked to a past, present, or intended violation of US export laws. 

The guidance lists the Huawei Ascend 910B, Huawei Ascend 910C, and Huawei Ascend 910D chips as examples of ICs that are likely subject to US export controls under the EAR. According to the BIS, these chips may be in violation of the EAR as they are likely to have been designed with US software or technology or produced with semiconductor manufacturing equipment that is the direct product of US-origin software or technology, or both, which was prohibited without a BIS license.

The guidance goes on to warn that the use of these ICs without authorization from the BIS could result in severe penalties “up to and including imprisonment, fines, loss of export privileges, or other restrictions”.

Another guidance issued by the BIS also warns companies and individuals that certain activities related to the transfer or support of advanced computing ICs for AI model training may require authorization from the BIS, especially when there is knowledge that the technology will be used for or on behalf of certain countries and regions (including China and Macau) for military-intelligence or WMD-related purposes.

A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce condemned the guidance from the BIS, stating that the US has “abused its export control measures and imposed stricter restrictions on Chinese chip products under unfounded allegations”. The spokesperson added that the announcement “undermined Chinese companies’ legitimate rights, threatened the stability of global semiconductor supply chains, violated market rules and disrupted international trade order”.

May 13, 2025: US Reduces De Minimis Tariff Rates but Costs Remain High for Small Parcels

The Trump administration has lowered the de minimis tariff rate on parcels from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong from 120 percent to 54 percent, aligning with the recent US-China agreement to reduce reciprocal tariffs.

The de minimis rate was first raised to 54 percent on April 2, the same day Trump imposed the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs on multiple trade partners, including China. It was subsequently increased twice, reaching 120 percent or a US$100 per-item fee effective May 2, with plans to raise the fee to US$200 from June 1. Following the weekend agreement to lower reciprocal tariffs to 10 percent — the US’s baseline minimum tariff — the administration reduced the de minimis rate to 54 percent but maintained the US$100 per-item fee, canceling the scheduled June 1 increase to US$200.

Despite the reduction, the cost of importing small parcels remains significantly higher than before, when they entered duty-free. This change represents a substantial shift for small businesses and consumers accustomed to low-cost, duty-exempt imports. While the reduction from 120 percent to 54 percent may ease some of the financial burden, the added costs and maintained per-item fee still present a formidable barrier to cost-effective importing, particularly for e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu.

May 12, 2025: China and US agree to reduce reciprocal tariffs to 10%

On Monday, May 12, 2025, the White House and China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) released a joint statement in which they committed to lowering reciprocal tariff rates from 125 percent to just 10 percent for a period of 90 days. The existing 20 percent tariff on Chinese goods will remain in place, meaning the final tariff rate on Chinese goods will be 30 percent.

The agreement follows a meeting between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, the US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, in Geneva over the weekend.

The agreement sees both sides commit to entirely cancel the higher reciprocal tariff rates imposed in succession from April 9. The 34 percent rate initially imposed by the US on April 2 and by China on April 4 has been amended to 10 percent for an initial period of 90 days. This suggests that, should no further deal be reached in the next 90 days and this period is not extended, the tariff rate will return to 34 percent, not 125 percent.

In addition to lowering the duties, China has agreed to suspend or remove other non-tariff countermeasures it has taken against the US since the reciprocal tariffs were first imposed on April 2, 2025.

In the joint statement, China and the US committed to establishing a mechanism for ongoing trade discussions, led by Vice Premier He for China and Greer and Bessent for the US. While specific concessions remain unclear, potential topics include reducing the US trade deficit and increasing US market access in China, similar to the 2020 Phase One deal. Despite the agreement, the 10 percent baseline tariff will likely remain, as seen in a recent US-UK trade deal. The US’s US$295.4 billion trade deficit with China remains a central concern, though past attempts to reduce it, including China’s commitment to purchase $200 billion in US goods under the Phase One deal, were not fully realized. The new framework nonetheless offers a potential path for more substantive negotiations in the future.

May 7, 2025: Chinese and US Officials to Meet in Geneva on Saturday and Sunday

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will meet with the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Geneva during the Vice Premier’s visit to Switzerland between May 9 and 12, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed.

This will be the first meeting between Chinese and US officials since Trump instigated a global trade war that culminated in a 145 percent on Chinese goods and a 125 percent counter-tariff on US goods.

In a statement to reporters, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said that China agreed to the meetings “on the basis of fully considering global expectations, China’s interests, and the calls of the US industry and consumers”. The statement also warned that the US would have to “face up to the serious negative impact of unilateral tariff measures on itself and the world” if it wanted to resolve the dispute through negotiations, and that China would never agree to any “attempt to continue to coerce and blackmail under the guise of talks”.

In an interview with Fox News, Bessent said that the current situation “isn’t sustainable” and that the two-way tariffs are the equivalent of “an embargo”. He added that he believed the meetings would be more about “de-escalation” rather than a trade deal. When asked whether the US would consider lowering the tariff rate on China in the interim as a show of good faith, Bessent said that “everything is on the table”, but that Trump would be happy to treat China as he does other trading partners and “ratchet the number back up” if no deal was reached.

The meetings mark a major diplomatic breakthrough after weeks of suggestions that talks were underway. On May 2, MOFCOM confirmed to the media that the Trump administration has sought to “convey information” to China and that China is “currently evaluating” the US’s attempts to hold negotiations on trade. In recent weeks, US officials and the president himself have stated that the US is in talks with China over the tariffs and trade, however, China denied that any discussions were taking place.

In the Fox News interview, Bessent also said that the US “does not want a decoupling” from China. However, he clarified that while the US will continue to buy low-value goods such as textiles and footwear from China, it did want to decouple over “strategic industries” that affect national security, and that the US will seek to “bring back” domestic strategic and precision manufacturing of products such as steel, semiconductors, and medicine.

April 22 to 24, 2025: Trump administration signals tariff easing in coming weeks dependant on deal, but negotiations with China still not underway

The Trump administration has indicated that it may reduce the tariff rate on China in the near future, but that this decision would depend on potential negotiations and a trade deal.

President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that the 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods is likely to come down. According to CNN, Trump told reporters that “145% is very high and it won’t be that high,” and that “ It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero.”

The statement follows comments made by the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told a group of investors at a closed-door meeting earlier that day, “No one thinks the current status quo is sustainable, at 145 and 125 [per cent], so I would posit that over the very near future, there will be a de-escalation.”

On Wednesday, Trump told reporters that he would announce new tariff rates on trading partners including China over the next few weeks, but that the tariffs rates “depends on them”. He also added that if the US does not strike a deal with a company or country, then “we’re going to set the tariff.”

The Trump administration had also indicated that the US were currently in talks with China over a potential trade deal. Also on Wednesday, he told reporters that the US was “actively” talking to China. However, this has been refuted by both China and members of Trump’s team. Also on Wednesday, the Treasury Secretary told reporters that negotiations had not yet begun. However, an anonymous White House official told Politico that the two statements are not contradictory, clarifying that while there are “always active conversations” and “open lines of communication” between the US and China, the Treasury Secretary did not want to overstate the level of progress that has been made on negotiations.

Speaking at a regular press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun also refuted that any discussions were taking place, telling reporters that “None of that is true. For all I know, China and the U.S. are not having any consultation or negotiation on tariffs, still less reaching a deal.”

At a press conference a day earlier, Guo said that China’s “doors are open, if the U.S. wants to talk”, but warned that continued pressure on China would not lead to a deal, stating that “to keep asking for a deal while exerting extreme pressure is not the right way to deal with China and simply will not work”.

On Wednesday, the Financial Times reported that Trump was considering exempting car parts from the China tariffs. However, car parts would still be subject to the 25 percent levy on all auto imports to the US that Trump imposed in early April.

April 21, 2025: US Commerce Department imposes steep tariffs on Chinese-made solar cell imports from Southeast Asia

On Monday, the US Department of Commerce (DoC) announced its final determinations in anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations into solar cells from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The investigations were launched in May 2024 under the Biden administration following a petition from First Solar, Inc., Hanwha Q CELLS USA, Inc., and Mission Solar Energy LLC.

Preliminary CVD and AD rates were implemented in October and November 2024.

According to the DoC, the CVD investigation found that “imports of solar cells from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are being dumped into the U.S. market and receiving countervailable subsidies”. The investigation alleges that Chinese solar companies with operations in these four countries are receiving subsidies from China.

The AD and CVD rates range widely between companies and countries. For instance, CVDs range from a low of 14.64 percent on imports from Hanwha Q CELLS in Malaysia to 3,403.96 percent on imports from four companies in Cambodia. According to Reuters, the combined AD tariff and CVDs on Jinko Solar products from Malaysia were subject to one of the lowest rates at 41.56 percent, while Trina Solar’s products from Thailand are subject to a rate of 375.19 percent.

The International Trade Commission (ITC), a separate federal agency from the DoC, will have until June 2, 2025, to make its final determination on harm caused to US industries by the alleged dumping activities and subsidies. The final AD tariffs and CVD rates will be imposed if the ITC affirms the DoC’s findings.

US tariffs on Chinese solar cells date back to 2012, when the Obama administration imposed duties of approximately 36 percent on Chinese solar products. As a result, direct imports from China to the US have sharply declined. In response, Chinese manufacturers have attempted to bypass these tariffs by shifting production to Southeast Asian countries not subject to the duties. If the new tariffs are finalized by the ITC, they are expected to significantly hinder Chinese companies’ ability to access the US market. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), the US imported $11.9 billion worth of solar cells from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam in 2023.

April 17, 2025: US to implement fees on Chinese vessels docking at US ports

The US Trade Representative (USTR) has announced it will begin to implement fees on Chinese vessels docking at US ports, as part of an effort to counter what the US claims are “China’s unreasonable acts, policies, and practices to dominate the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.”

These fees mark a continuation of initiatives to strengthen the US shipbuilding industry, which began during the Biden administration. The decision aligns with an executive order (EO) signed by President Trump on April 9, declaring that it is the policy of the US “to revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic prosperity.”

According to the EO, “the United States constructs less than one percent of commercial ships globally, while the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is responsible for producing approximately half.”

In accordance with this policy, the EO directed the USTR to “take appropriate steps to enforce any restriction, fee, penalty, or duty imposed pursuant to such actions” related to China’s shipbuilding practices.

The fees follow a Section 301 investigation initiated exactly one year earlier under the Biden administration. The investigation examined “longstanding efforts to dominate the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors, cataloguing the PRC’s use of unfair, non-market policies and practices to achieve those goals.” Its findings, released on January 16, 2025, concluded that “China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance is unreasonable.”

A public hearing on proposed actions stemming from the investigation’s findings was held by the USTR on March 24 and 26.

The fees will be introduced in two phases.

The first phase will start after 180 days from April 17. A US$0 fee will be applied in the interim 180 days. After this period, the following fees will be phased in:

• Fees on vessel owners and operators of China: Charges will be based on net tonnage (NT) per US voyage, starting at US$50/NT and increasing incrementally to US$140/NT over the next three years.
• Fees on operators of Chinese-built ships: Charges will be based on NT or containers. For arriving vessels, fees will increase from US$18/NT to US$33/NT. For each container discharged, fees will rise from US$120 to US$250 over the next three years.
• Fees on foreign-built vehicle carriers: To incentivize the use of US-built car carriers, operators of non-US-built vessels will be charged US$150 per Car Equivalent Unit (CEU) of capacity.

Phase two will begin after three years:

• To encourage the use of US-built liquified natural gas (LNG) vessels, the US will begin imposing limited restrictions on the transportation of LNG by foreign vessels. These restrictions will gradually increase over a 22-year period.

Further actions to limit China’s shipbuilding industry will likely follow. The EO also called for the USTR to explore additional steps to support the US maritime industry, including potential tariffs on ship-to-shore cranes and other cargo handling equipment. The USTR is currently soliciting public comments on these proposals.

In response to the April 17 announcement by the USTR, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) stated that China is “strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed” to the decision. Speaking to the media, a MOFCOM spokesperson said the move is unilateralist and protectionist, calling it a discriminatory, non-market approach that violates WTO rules, harms Chinese companies, disrupts supply chains, and undermines the rules-based international trade system. The spokesperson also noted that during the hearings, most industry representatives, including international voices, opposed the measure, but that the US still “insisted on taking unilateral action and released the relevant restrictive measures.”

The spokesperson also warned that China will closely monitor developments and “take necessary measures to safeguard its own rights and interests”, suggesting possible countermeasures.

April 11, 2025: US grants tariff exemption for smartphones, computers, and other electronics arriving from China

In an executive order signed on Friday, Trump exempted a range of electronic products and components from the reciprocal tariffs, including computers (including parts and accessories for their assembly), smartphones, flat panel displays, SSDs, computer monitors, various types of semiconductors, and integrated circuits. The exemptions are effective retroactively from April 5.

Currently, the only US reciprocal tariff still in effect is the 125 percent tariff on Chinese goods, meaning the exemption is intended for these products arriving from China.

While these goods are exempted from the 125 percent reciprocal tariff, the 20 percent tariff that Trump imposed on China in February will remain in place on these goods. Moreover, the US, under the Biden administration, placed a 50 percent tariff on Chinese semiconductors, taking effect in 2025.

Trump has also warned that the exemption will not be permanent, stating that semiconductors and the electronics supply chain will be looked at in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations.

April 11, 2025: China raises tariff on US goods to 125%, says it will no longer respond to US tariff hikes

The State Council Tariff Commission announced on Friday that it will further raise the tariff on US imports from 84 percent to 125 percent, matching the reciprocal tariff rate Trump imposed on China on April 9. The new tariff rate will take effect on April 12.

The announcement also once again stated that the US’s imposition of abnormally high tariffs on China “seriously violates international trade rules” and is an act of “unilateral bullying and coercion”.

Notably, the announcement also stated that, given that importing goods from the US to China will not be viable at the current tariff rate, China will no longer respond to any further tariff hikes from the US side.

However, speaking at a regular press conference on Friday, Foreign Spokesperson Li Jian repeated the line that “China will fight to the end” if the US continues its escalations and that “China does not wish to fight, but it is not afraid to fight.” He also called for resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiation “based on equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity”.

April 10, 2025: White House clarifies China tariff rate now 145%

A White House spokesperson clarified to CNBC on Thursday that the 125 percent reciprocal tariff rate imposed on China would be in addition to the 20 percent tariff imposed on China prior to April 2, bringing the final tariff rate to 145 percent.

Moreover, the CNBC reporter found that the 145 percent tariff is the minimum tariff, meaning it will be levied on top of any other existing tariffs. This would include the Section 301 tariffs imposed during Trump’s first term, as well as the tariffs imposed by Biden on electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors, and other products.

Trump’s initial executive order imposing reciprocal tariffs on global trade partners, including China, exempts certain items from the reciprocal tariffs, such as the 25 percent levy on steel and aluminum implemented in February. However, in practice, this would not apply to China as the Biden administration already imposed a 25 percent duty on these products coming from China in 2024.

April 9, 2025: China promises policy support to help weather impacts of trade war

At a symposium with economic experts and entrepreneurs on April 9, Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized the importance of strengthening economic efforts in the second quarter and beyond amid the challenges posed by the escalating trade war with the US.

Li pledged more proactive and impactful macroeconomic policies, calling for the swift implementation of existing measures and the timely introduction of new, targeted stimulus policies to counter external uncertainties. He stressed the need to reinforce the domestic economic cycle, viewing the expansion of domestic demand as a long-term strategy.

Key priorities include stabilizing employment, increasing household incomes, and boosting service consumption alongside efforts to modernize consumer goods. Li also highlighted the importance of integrating technological and industrial innovation to enhance the quality and responsiveness of supply.

To support businesses, Li called for the full implementation of supportive policies, improved law enforcement practices related to enterprises, and concrete solutions to persistent issues such as delayed payments and expensive or difficult financing. The goal, he said, is to create a better environment and policy support system to help companies overcome development challenges.

April 9, 2025: US further raises de minimis duty to 120%

In the executive order signed on Wednesday raising the reciprocal tariff on China to 125 percent, the Trump administration again raised the duties and fees for de minimis parcels arriving from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. The new duties are as follows:

• An ad valorem tariff of 120 percent on the declared value of the parcel (up from 90 percent); or
• A per-item rate of US$100 (up from US$75) from May 1, rising to S$200 (up from US$150) from June 1.

April 9, 2025: US further raises tariff on China to 125%, pauses reicprocal tariffs on other countries

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, President Trump announced that the tariff rate on China will raise further to 125 percent, effective immediately. The action comes on the same day as China raised the tariff on US goods to 84 percent, matching the US’s previous tariff rate that also came into effect on April 9.

In the same post, Trump announced a 90-day pause in the reciprocal tariffs placed on all other countries, with the 10 percent minimum base tariff to remain in place for all countries and regions.

While China has yet to announce a countermeasure to the latest escalation, speaking at a regular press conference on April 10, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that “there are no winners in tariff wars and trade wars” and added that “China does not want to fight, but is not afraid of fighting”. He also reiterated that China will “fight to the end” should the US continues its escalations.

April 9, 2025: China retaliates with 84% tariff on US goods

China’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) has retaliated against the US’s imposition of a 104 percent tariff by raising the duty rate on US goods from 34 percent to 84 percent. The tariff hike comes on the same day as the US’s 104 percent tariff rate on Chinese goods took effect and matches the 84 percent “reciprocal” tariff announced by the Trump administration on April 8.

In its announcement, the MOF called Trump’s escalating tariffs “a mistake on top of a mistake” that “seriously infringes on China’s legitimate rights and interests and seriously damages the rules-based multilateral trading system”.

The new tariff rate will take effect on April 10. As of the time of writing, the US has yet to respond to China’s latest countermeasure.

April 9, 2025: Chinese Commerce Ministry places 12 US companies on export control list and 6 on unreliable entities list

On the same day Trump’s 104 percent tariff on Chinese goods took effect, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) placed an additional 12 American companies on the export control list and six on the unreliable entities list.

On April 4, MOFCOM placed 16 American companies on the export control list and 11 on the unreliable entities list (see April 4 entry).

The companies placed on the export control list include American Photonics, Novotech, Inc., Echodyne, and Firestorm Labs, Inc., all of which produce advanced technologies with potential (or explicit) military applications. According to MOFCOM, these companies were placed on the list “in order to safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation”.

Meanwhile, the six companies on the unreliable entities list include Shield AI, Inc., Sierra Nevada Corporation, Cyberlux Corporation, and Hudson Technologies Co. Four of the six companies were already placed on the export control list on April 4.

Companies on the export control list will not be able to buy dual-use items from China, while the companies on the unreliable entities list will be prohibited from engaging in import and export activities related to China and from making new investments in China.

April 9, 2025: Trump raises tariff on China to 104%, raises de minimis duty to 90%

In an executive order signed on Tuesday, President Trump raised the reciprocal tariff rate on China from 34 percent to 84 percent, bringing the final rate to 104 percent. The additional 50 percent rate was implemented after China did not repeal the 34 percent duty it placed on US goods by April 8, as Trump had demanded. The 104 percent tariff, along with the reciprocal tariff rates placed on other countries, came into effect on Wednesday, April 9.

In addition to the higher flat tariff rate, the executive order also raised the duty rate and fees on de minimis shipments (small parcels for individual consumption under US$800 in value). The duty on these parcels had originally been raised to 30 percent of their value or a flat rate of US$25 (rising to US$50 from June 1) when Trump removed the de minimis exemption on parcels arriving from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong on April 2. The rates, effective May 2, will now be as follows:

• A 90 percent ad valorem duty (up from 30 percent); or
• A flat duty of US$75 per postal item from May 2 (up from US$25), rising to US$150 per item from June 1 (up from US$50).

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian stated that “China deplores and rejects” the suggestion of an additional 50 percent tariff and said that the US was engaging in “economic bullying”. He also stated that if the US is “determined to fight a tariff and trade war, China’s response will continue to the end”.

April 8, 2025: War of words escalates as Trump threatens additional 50% tariff on China

The Chinese government has pushed back against a threat from Donald Trump to further increase the tariff rate on Chinese goods.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump threatened an additional 50 percent tariff on Chinese goods if China does not withdraw the 34 percent tariff announced in retaliation for Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on China. The additional 50 percent tariff would be implemented from April 9 and would bring the final tariff rate on China to 104 percent.

In a message posted on its official website on Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said that China “firmly opposes” the US’s threat of an additional 50 percent tariff, and that if it goes ahead with this escalation, “China will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests”. The spokesperson also called the threat “a mistake on top of a mistake” and an attempt by the US to “blackmail” China, and stated that China will “fight to the end”. However, the spokesperson also called on the US to “properly resolve differences with China through equal dialogue on the basis of mutual respect”.

April 4, 2025: Trump signs executive order delaying implementation of TikTok ban

Trump signed a second executive order on Friday delaying the ban on TikTok for another 75 days, one day before the ban was set to go into effect. This is the second executive order signed by Trump to delay the ban-or-sell deadline that was imposed by the TikTok divestment bill, which was signed into law by former President Joe Biden in April 2024.

According to reports, TikTok’s owner ByteDance was close to reaching a deal with the Trump administration to sell the US portion of TikTok, as required by the bill. However, this deal had been scuppered by the announcement of an additional 34 percent reciprocal tariff on Chinese goods on April 2.

It now appears likely that the Chinese government will seek to use the selling of TikTok as leverage in any potential trade negotiations with the US.

April 4, 2024: China’s market regulator launches antitrust probe into DuPont

In a brief statement on its website, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced it has initiated an investigation into DuPont China Group Co., Ltd., the Chinese subsidiary of the American chemicals giant DuPont, for suspected violations of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law. While SAMR did not provide any information on the basis for the investigation into DuPont, according to a notice posted on US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website, the probe is in relation to DuPont’s Tyvek business. Tyvek is a trademarked synthetic polyethylene material that is used widely in a variety of civilian and military settings.

According to reporting by Chinese media, DuPont has held a monopoly over this material and sought to use litigation to suppress smaller companies in China that have developed new technologies with similar performance.

The announcement of this probe is likely timed to act as a response to the 34 percent additional reciprocal tariff that Trump imposed on China on April 2. After Trump’s initial 10 percent tariff placed on China in early February, SAMR launched an investigation into Google for suspected violations of the Anti-Monopoly Law.

April 4, 2025: China retaliates with 34% duty on all US goods, export curbs, and sanctions on US companies

China’s State Council Tariff Commission in an announcement on Friday placed an additional 34 percent tariff on all goods entering the country from the US. Any current bonded and tax reduction and exemption policies will remain in place.

The new tariff will take effect from April 10, 2025. However, goods that have been shipped prior to April 10 and arrive in China between April 10 and May 13, the new rate will not apply.

This rate exactly matches the 34 percent tariff imposed on China by the Trump administration on April 2. However, the rate applied to China is in addition to the preexisting 20 percent rate imposed by Trump, meaning the final tariff rate on China will be 54 percent when the reciprocal tariff goes into effect on April 9.

The 34 percent rate that China has applied on US goods will also be on top of any other existing tariffs for the applicable goods.

On the same day, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Customs Administrations placed export restrictions on seven different types of rare earths, namely various derivations of samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium. A MOFCOM spokesperson stated that these items have “dual-use attributes”, and that the export controls are aimed at “better safeguarding national security and interests and fulfilling international obligations such as non-proliferation”.

MOFCOM also placed 16 American companies on the “export control list” and 11 American companies on the “unreliable entities list”.

The stated motive for this move is “to safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation”. The companies placed on the export controls list, which are mostly defense companies, include High Point Aerotechnologies, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Hudson Technologies Co., and Cyberlux Corporation. The companies placed on the unreliable entities list include Skydio Inc., BRINC Drones, Inc., and Red Six Solutions. According to a statement from the MOFCOM spokesperson, these companies have “carried out so-called military and technical cooperation with Taiwan despite China’s strong opposition, seriously undermining China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests”.

Companies included on the export control list will be barred from purchasing certain goods and products from China. Meanwhile, the companies included on the unreliable entities list are prohibited from engaging in import and export activities related to China and may not make any new investments in China.

April 2, 2025: Trump reinstates end to de minimis exemption on Chinese parcels, effective May 2

On Wednesday, the same day the US tariff rate on Chinese imports was raised to 54 percent, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) to once again end the de minimis exemption for parcels originating from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

The de minimis exemption allows low-value packages – those worth under US$800 – to enter the US without customs duties or inspections. According to analysts, roughly four million packages per day entered the US under this exemption in 2024, many of them from Chinese e-commerce companies.

Trump had previously attempted to revoke the exemption as part of his February 1 tariff package but reversed the move within a week. On February 7, the White House issued an amendment delaying the change, following chaos at US logistics centers and customs warehouses. The US Postal Service had also temporarily suspended the acceptance of international parcels from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, but quickly reversed course.

The latest executive order claims that “adequate systems” are now in place to assess and collect duties on incoming parcels. As a result, the US will begin imposing duties on small-value packages from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong starting May 2, 2025.

The Trump administration has justified the move by alleging that Chinese-based shippers use the de minimis channel to engage in deceptive shipping practices. The EO states that some Chinese exporters “hide illicit substances and conceal the true contents” of parcels, avoiding detection due to the limited screening associated with de minimis treatment. The White House has linked this to broader concerns about fentanyl trafficking, which it claims is facilitated in part through these small parcels.

Under the new rules, packages from mainland China and Hong Kong will be subject to the following duties:

• Ad valorem duty of 30 percent of the declared value of the postal item
• Specific duty:
  • US$25 per item between May 2 and May 31, 2025
  • US$50 per item beginning June 1, 2025

The EO directs the Secretary of Commerce to make an assessment of the potential impact of the order on American consumers and businesses, and provide a recommendation on whether the end of the exemption should also be extended to Macau “to prevent circumvention of this order”.

The end of the exemption is expected to have widespread implications for online retailers such as Shein, Temu, and Amazon, as well as for smaller US businesses that rely on low-cost Chinese imports. Analysts warn that the decision will also affect millions of American consumers by raising prices and causing delays at customs due to backlogs and new inspection protocols.

April 2, 2025 – Trump imposes sweeping tariffs, raising Chinese import duties to 54% 

?On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a comprehensive overhaul of US trade policy, introducing significant tariffs on imports from various countries. This “Liberation Day” initiative aims to address perceived trade imbalances and bolster domestic industries.?

Key highlights inlcude:

• Universal tariff: A baseline 10 percent tariff will be applied to all imports entering the United States. ?

• China-specific tariffs: Chinese imports will face an additional 34 percent tariff on top of the existing 20 percent, culminating in a total tariff rate of 54 percent.

• Tariffs on other nations: Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the European Union, and Japan will be subject to new tariffs of 46 percent, 36 percent, 49 percent, 20 percent, and 24 percent, respectively.

• Sector-specific tariffs: Additional duties of 25 percent will be imposed on foreign automobiles, car parts, steel, and aluminum. ?

The universal 10 percent import tariff is set to take effect on April 5, 2025.? The additional “reciprocal” tariffs targeting specific countries will commence on April 9, 2025. ?The additional 25 percent tariff on foreign automobiles, car parts, steel, and aluminum would go into effect at midnight, April 3, 2025.

The announcement has led to significant volatility in global financial markets. Analysts express concerns about potential inflationary pressures and disruptions to international trade. While supporters argue that these measures will revitalize American manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign goods, critics warn of escalating trade tensions and possible retaliatory actions from affected nations. ?As the situation develops, stakeholders across various sectors are advised to monitor policy changes closely and assess their potential impact on international trade and economic stability.?

March 26, 2025 – US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer holds video call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held a video call on March 26 to discuss the US-China economic and trade relationship. According to the US Trade Representative (USTR) readout, Greer emphasized President Trump’s commitment to a reinvigorated trade policy that strengthens domestic industry, safeguards national security, and ensures fair competition for American workers. He also raised concerns about China’s trade practices, which the US views as unfair and anticompetitive.

Meanwhile, according to the China State Council readout, Vice Premier He conveyed China’s concerns over additional US tariffs, particularly those tied to fentanyl-related issues and the Section 301 investigation. He urged the US to engage in equal consultations to address trade disputes. Both sides agreed that maintaining a stable economic relationship is in their mutual interest.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of Trump’s 20 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, which remain a key issue in bilateral trade talks. According to reports, Trump has suggested he may consider lowering tariffs on China in exchange for a deal over TikTok, which is coming up against an April 5 deadline to be sold or face a potential US ban.

March 25, 2025 – US Commerce Department adds over 50 Chinese Entities to Entity List

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the US Department of Commerce added 80 entities from a range of countries, over 50 of which are from China. According to the press release, the purpose of including these companies to the list is to restrict China from acquiring and developing high-performance and exascale computing capabilities and quantum technologies for military applications, as well as impeding China’s development of hypersonic weapons.

The entities notably include six subsidiaries of the Chinese cloud computing and big data services provider Inspur Group, including Inspur’s subsidiary in Taiwan (Inspur Taiwan). These entities were added “for their contributions to Inspur’s development of supercomputers for military end use, particularly by acquiring or attempting to acquire U.S.-origin items in support of supercomputer projects for the Chinese government and/or military”.

Inspur Group was placed on the Entity List in 2023.

Other entities added to the list include the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, a non-profit AI research lab; Nettrix Information Industry, a server manufacturer and IT system provider; and Suma Technology.

Companies included on the Entity List will be subject to export restrictions, and US companies will be unable to do business with the entities without a license.

In a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun called the latest action “an abuse of [the US’s] entity list and other export controls” and that they were in violation of international law. He also repeated the line that “China will take necessary steps to firmly safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies”, suggesting possible retaliation.

March 23, 2025: Premier Li Qiang meets with US Senator Steve Daines

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Republican Senator Steve Daines, along with a group of American business executives in Beijing as a part of the annual China Development Forum.

According to the readout of the meeting, Li urged communication between China and the US, stating that “Both sides should choose dialogue rather than confrontation, and choose win-win cooperation instead of a zero-sum game.”

He also emphasized the importance of trade in bilateral relations, warning that “the more difficulties bilateral relations face, the more important it is to safeguard and develop China-US economic and trade cooperation.”

This was the first meeting between Chinese and US officials since Trump took office in January and comes amid an escalating trade war that has seen the US place 20 percent tariffs on goods coming from China.

During the last Trump administration, Daines played an important role in the negotiations for the Phase One US-China Trade Agreement, particularly in advocating for agricultural interests.

When asked in a regular press conference whether Daines’ trip signaled a possible meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that “we […] welcome Americans from all walks of life, including members of the Congress, to visit China.”

March 20, 2025: US Department of State and US Treasury Secretary sanction a Chinese oil terminal and refinery

The US Department of State on Thursday sanctioned the Huaying Huizhou Daya Bay Petrochemical Terminal Storage in Guangdong for allegedly “buying and storing Iranian crude oil from a sanctioned vessel.” Meanwhile, the Department of the Treasury (the Treasury) concurrently sanctioned the Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co., Ltd oil refinery in Shandong “for purchasing and refining hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil.”

In addition, the Treasury sanctioned 12 entities and one individual and identified eight vessels as blocked property (property owned by sanctioned entities) for purportedly being part of Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers, which ship “millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China”.

These sanctions are designed to end Iran’s oil exports. The US alleges that income derived from Iran’s oil exports is funding Iran’s attacks on US allies and helping to fund US-designated terrorist groups.

In a regular press meeting on Friday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning called the action an “abuse of illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction” and called for the US to stop “disrupting the normal business cooperation between China and Iran”. She also cautioned that China will “take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard the lawful rights and interests of our companies”.

March 4, 2025: China counters Trump’s tariffs with duties on US agricultural products

China’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) has announced a series of counter-tariffs on crucial US agricultural goods one day after Trump increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 20 percent.

The tariffs on US goods are as follows:

1. A 15 percent tariff on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton.
2. A 10 percent tariff on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.

The MOF announcement stated that “the unilateral tariff increase by the US side undermines the multilateral trading system, increases the burden on US companies and consumers, and undermines the basis for economic and trade cooperation between China and the US.”

The tariffs will come into effect on March 10.

In a separate announcement, China’s Ministry of Commerce stated that China has sued the US under the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism for the latest tariff hike, stating that it violates the WTO’s rules and “undermines the basis for economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States”.

The targeting of US agricultural products is calculated. China is one of the world’s largest importers of agricultural products and a major buyer of US soybeans, corn, and sorghum. Agricultural products were a core component of the trade deal struck between China and the Trump administration in 2019, which saw China commit to purchasing around US$200 billion in agricultural goods from the US over a two-year period.

The US’s agricultural producers are also mainly located in the US’s red states, meaning the tariffs will hit Trump’s core voter base the hardest.

March 3, 2025: Trump raises tariffs on Chinese goods to 20%, effective March 4

The Trump administration has officially raised the tariff rate on Chinese imports from 10 to 20 percent through an executive order (EO) signed on Monday. The EO states that the increase to the 10 percent tariff initially implemented on February 4 is necessary as China “has not taken adequate steps to alleviate the illicit drug crisis through cooperative enforcement actions”.

The new tariff rate takes effect on March 4, the same day the postponed 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico come into force.

The Global Times, a sister publication of the state news organization The People’s Daily, reported on Monday that China was considering responding with counter-tariffs on US agricultural goods.

February 27, 2025: Trump threatens an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods

President Trump announced in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that he will impose an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports starting March 4, the date on which the 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will come into effect. In the post, Trump alleged that fentanyl coming into the US from Mexico and Canada is made and supplied by China, implying this is the reason for the tariff hike.

Trump already imposed a 10 percent tariff on all Chinese goods at the beginning of February, meaning the effective tariff rate would increase to 20 percent.

He also stated that the reciprocal tariffs on goods from all countries, announced on February 13, are scheduled to go into effect on April 2.

In a regular press conference on February 28, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said that the “fentanyl issue is just an excuse the U.S. uses to impose tariffs on, pressure and blackmail China” and that “the fentanyl issue is the U.S.’s own problem”.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce stated that “China will take all necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests”.

February 21, 2025 – Trump signs a memorandum restricting Chinese investment in the US on national security grounds

On Friday, Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) directing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to restrict China-affiliated investors from investing in technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials, and other strategic sectors in the US.

The memorandum claims that foreign adversaries, including China, “systematically direct and facilitate investment in United States companies and assets to obtain cutting-edge technologies, intellectual property, and leverage in strategic industries”.

The memorandum also calls for establishing new rules to curb US investment in Chinese industries “that advance the PRC’s national Military-Civil Fusion strategy and stop PRC-affiliated persons from buying up critical American businesses and assets”.

In addition to restrictions on investment in strategic industries, the memorandum also calls for restricting the purchase of farmland and real estate near sensitive facilities. According to a White House Fact Sheet, around 2 percent of all US agricultural land is owned by foreign entities and individuals, and China owns more than 350,000 acres of farmland.

In a statement posted to its website, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce called on the US to “stop politicizing and weaponizing economic and trade issues”, and warned that stricter investment rules would undermine Chinese companies’ confidence in the US market and cause US companies to cede ground to key competitors in China.

February 13, 2025 – Trump signs plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on all trade partners

Trump signed a memorandum on Thursday directing key ministers to implement a plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on all trade partners.

The “Fair and Reciprocal Plan” will examine non-reciprocal trade relationships with all trade partners, including tariffs on US products, unfair, discriminatory, or extraterritorial taxes on US businesses, workers, and consumers (including VAT), nontariff barriers or measures, including subsidies and regulatory requirements, and policies and practices that cause exchange rates to deviate from their market value.

Examples where the US’s trade partners do not provide reciprocal tariffs on American goods cited in a Fact Sheet include a 10 percent tariff imposed by the EU on American imported cars, while the US imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on European imported cars. Should the plan be implemented as intended, tariffs on car imports from the EU will rise to 10 percent.

The tariffs that Trump has imposed on products such as steel and aluminum, as well as the 10 percent tariff placed on Chinese goods, would be in addition to the reciprocal tariffs.

The broad scope of the types of duties and trade barriers targeted by the reciprocal action means further tariffs on Chinese goods could be very extensive. The US has in the past accused China of unfairly subsidizing the production of various goods to the detriment of its domestic industries, and China also imposes VAT on most goods and services ranging from six to 13 percent.

In January of this year, the US Trade Representative released the results of an investigation into China’s shipbuilding subsidies, which concluded that China’s “targeting for dominance burdens or restricts U.S. commerce by undercutting business opportunities for and investments in the U.S. maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors”. The report further stated that “responsive action is appropriate”.

It is also likely that the US’s major trading partners, such as the EU, will impose countermeasures on US goods in response to Trump’s actions.

February 10, 2025 – Trump states he has spoken to Xi Jinping

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump stated that he has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping “and his people” since the inauguration on January 20, without saying when the talk took place or what was discussed.

Trump added that he “loved talking to him” and that they have “a very good personal relationship”.

The Chinese side has not confirmed when or whether the call took place, and the last confirmed communication between the two leaders was a phone call on January 17.

A White House spokesperson said last week that Trump would speak to Xi Jinping within a few days, but no update has been given on the status of the talks.

February 10, 2025 – Trump announces 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports

On Monday, President Trump signed a proclamation announcing a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on all steel imports into the US and raising tariffs on aluminum imports from 10 to 25 percent. The tariffs will be applicable to imports from all countries and regions “without exception”, and will take effect on March 12.

According to the proclamation, the 25 percent tariff imposed on steel by Trump in 2018 effectively reduced the US’s reliance on imports and increasedthe  consumption of domestic supply. However, the proclamation asserts that various exemptions and alternative agreements negotiated with multiple countries and entities during the Trump and Biden administrations have led to imported steel comprising a proportion of US consumption comparable to levels prior to the initial tariff imposition. Additionally, the proclamation states that there is a “global excess capacity crisis” and that increasing Chinese steel exports in recent years is “displacing production in other countries and forcing them to export greater volumes of steel articles and derivative steel articles to the United States.”

As a result, the US will terminate all agreements and exemptions made with different trade partners and entities, and the 25 percent tariff will be reinstated for all steel imports.

Chinese direct exports of steel to the US are very small, accounting for just 0.8 percent of China’s total steel exports in 2024. However, Chinese steel exports to countries that are major sources for steel imports for the US, such as Vietnam and Canada, accounted for 25.22 percent of China’s total steel exports in 2024, according to Investor.org.cn. As the tariff is effective worldwide, it will indirectly affect Chinese steel re-exports to the US via these third countries, thereby significantly impacting China’s global steel exports.

February 9, 2025 – Trump announces plan to impose 25% steel and aluminum tariff on all trading partners

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump announced he would impose an additional 25 percent tariff on US steel and aluminum imports. The new tariff, which will reportedly be officially announced and take effect on Monday, will be added to all existing duties.

In September 2024, the Biden administration raised the tariff on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum products to 25 percent.

China’s steel and aluminum exports to the US have fallen in recent years and make up a small percentage of China’s overall exports. 

In addition to the steel and aluminum tariff, Trump said he would announce global reciprocal tariffs on Tuesday or Wednesday, which would go into effect immediately.

February 7, 2025 – Trump pauses executive action ending de minimis exception

The Trump administration on Friday released an amendment to an Executive Order deferring the end to the de minimis exception after its sudden implementation on February 4 caused chaos at US logistics centers and customs warehouses. An estimated four million packages entered the US per day in 2024 under the de minimis exception, which allows packages under US$800 in value to forego customs inspections and duties.

The amendment states that duty-free de minimis treatment will be available on eligible packages until “adequate systems are in place to fully and expediently process and collect tariff revenue”.

On February 4, the US Postal Service also announced a temporary suspension to international packages from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong but reversed this decision the next day.

February 4, 2024 – US Postal Service suspends all parcels arriving from Mainland China and Hong Kong

In a notice posted to its website on Tuesday, the USPS announced that it will temporarily suspend international packages from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong “until further notice”, effective the same day. Letters and “flats” (large envelopes, newsletters, and magazines) are unaffected.

On February 1, Trump signed an Executive Order which, among other actions, halted the de minimis exemption allowing parcels below US$800 in value to bypass customs inspections and duties when entering the US. The stated reason for halting the exemption is to prevent the import of fentanyl and chemical precursors, which arrive in the US via these types of small packages.

The halting of packages from China will severely affect online retailers such as Shein, Temu, and Amazon, as well as countless smaller retail businesses, whose business models are substantially based on exploiting this loophole. It will also have an immediate impact on American consumers, as millions of parcels that have already been shipped will be stuck in customs for an indeterminate amount of time. An analyst told Reuters that four million de minimis packages arrived in the US per day in 2024.

February 4, 2024 – China imposes tariffs on US imports, implements export controls on rare earths in retaliation to Trump’s tariff hike

Shortly after the Trump administration’s 10 percent additional tariff on Chinese imports took effect, China’s Customs Tariff Commission announced a series of retaliatory tariffs on goods originating from the United States.

These are:

• A 15 percent tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas, and
• A 10 percent tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars, and pickup trucks.

Additionally, corresponding tariffs will be imposed based on current applicable tariff rates. Existing bonded and tax reduction and exemption policies will remain unchanged, and the additional tariffs will not be reduced or exempted. These tariffs are set to take effect on February 10.

In addition to the tariff increase, China’s Ministry of Commerce and Customs Administration announced export controls on 25 rare earth metal items, citing the need to “safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation.”

The items subject to export controls include various derivations of tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, and molybdenum, critical materials for industries such as electronics, aerospace, and renewable energy.

While the announcement did not explicitly link the export controls to US tariffs, China’s role as one of the largest producers of rare earth metals makes these products a significant bargaining chip in the context of a potential trade war. In an executive order signed on his first day in office, Trump called for “Restoring America’s Mineral Dominance,” which included expanding access to land for mining in the US. He has also pursued efforts to expand access to critical minerals overseas, including threatening to annex Greenland and recently demanding Ukraine provide access to rare earths in exchange for military aid.

Separately, the Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico but postponed their implementation by 30 days in both cases following negotiations. However, no such deal has been reached between China and the United States. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump is expected to speak with President Xi Jinping “in the next couple of days,” according to Reuters.

February 4, 2024 – China announces an antitrust probe into Google, adds two US companies to the Unreliable Entities List

On Tuesday, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced that it has launched an investigation into Google for suspected violations of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law. The statement, published on SAMR’s website, did not provide specific details of the alleged violations. This news was released just one minute after the US’s 10 percent tariffs on Chinese imports took effect.

While Google’s search engine has not operated in China since 2011 and its Gmail service ended in 2014, some Google services and products, such as the Google Chrome browser, are still available in the country.

At the same time as the Google antitrust probe announcement, China’s Ministry of Commerce declared that it is adding two major US companies to its Unreliable Entities List: biotech giant Illumina, Inc. and fashion conglomerate PVH Group, the parent company of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.

According to the Ministry, the two companies “violated normal market trading principles, interrupted normal transactions with Chinese companies, adopted discriminatory measures against Chinese companies, and seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”

Placement on the Unreliable Entities List subjects these companies to a range of potential penalties, including import and export restrictions, investment limitations, restrictions or prohibitions on company personnel entering China, revocation of work, stay, or residence permits for foreign staff, and fines.

Illumina has expanded its presence in China in recent years, establishing its first manufacturing site in Shanghai in 2022. Meanwhile, PVH Group has seen strong growth in the Chinese market, citing a 20 percent year-on-year increase in revenue in RMB terms in its 2023 Year in Review.

February 1, 2025 – Trump signs executive order slapping 10% tariff on Chinese imports

President Trump signed an executive order (EO) imposing an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods entering the country, ostensibly to curb the import of fentanyl and other illicit substances. Canada and Mexico were separately hit with 25 percent additional tariffs under the same rationale. The additional tariffs will be levied “until the [illicit drug] crisis is alleviated”, according to a White House Fact Sheet.

The Fact Sheet also accused China of failing “to take the actions necessary to stem the flow of precursor chemicals to known criminal cartels and shut down money laundering by transnational criminal organizations”.

Under the Biden administration, the US and China increased collaboration to tackle the export of fentanyl and precursor chemicals from China to the US, launching the US-China Counternarcotics Working Group in January 2024. The initiative was a key part of the efforts to resume US-China cooperation on a variety of issues following years of diplomatic gridlock and, at the time, was viewed as an easy win for the Biden administration. In April 2024, then US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced the launch of the Joint Treasury-People’s Bank of China Cooperation and Exchange on Anti-Money Laundering. It is unclear whether these efforts will continue under Trump.

In addition to the tariffs, the EOs also announced a halt to the De Minimis exemption, which exempts parcels valued below US$800 from customs inspections and tariffs. The Trump administration has blamed small packages that fall under this threshold for the illegal import of fentanyl and precursor chemicals.

The suspension of the De Minimis exemption could significantly impact Chinese e-commerce giants like Shein and Temu, which have established vast customer bases in the US. Their business models heavily rely on exploiting this loophole by shipping low-value parcels directly from manufacturers in China to American consumers.

The tariffs will go into effect at 00:01 Eastern Time (13:01 China Standard Time) on Tuesday, February 4.

In response to the tariffs, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China would “take necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests” and that the move violated WTO rules. China’s Ministry of Commerce also stated that it would file a lawsuit with the WTO and threatened to use countermeasures to “safeguard its own rights and interests”.

January 22, 2025 – Trump threatens 10% tariff on China over Fentanyl from Feb 1

On January 22, 2025, during a White House event, President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports as soon as February 1, citing concerns over fentanyl shipments. He accused China of sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada, which he claimed was then trafficked into the United States. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated during a routine press briefing that China firmly opposes trade wars and tariff measures, emphasizing that “there are no winners in trade wars, and China will resolutely safeguard its national interests.”

January 20, 2025 – Trump’s second term begins with a focus on US-China trade relations

President Donald Trump marked the start of his second term with a broad trade policy directive, prioritizing a methodical review of the United States’ trade relationships, including a sharp focus on China. While no immediate tariffs were announced, the administration signaled its intention to evaluate Beijing’s adherence to the 2020 trade agreement and address trade imbalances.

Key developments include:

• Trade memo announcement: The memo, issued shortly after Trump’s inauguration, directs federal agencies to scrutinize trade deficits and unfair practices by major trading partners, with China being a key focus.
• 2020 trade deal under review: Trump’s directive includes assessing China’s compliance with the 2020 deal, which required Beijing to increase purchases of US goods by US$200 billion annually—a commitment largely unmet due to the pandemic.
• Avoiding immediate tariffs: Contrary to campaign rhetoric promising steep tariffs on Chinese imports, the administration appears to be taking a more strategic approach. Analysts suggest this could calm financial markets in the short term.
• Universal tariff expected: Trade experts believe Trump remains committed to imposing a global tariff as part of his economic agenda. The administration is expected to invoke statutes like Section 232 or Section 301 for future trade actions. Trump’s measured approach to tariffs suggests a possible window for negotiations, but the administration’s broader goals—such as pushing China to fulfill its trade commitments—may lead to renewed tensions. The directive reinforces the administration’s intent to hold China accountable for practices perceived as unfair, maintaining pressure in line with Trump’s first-term trade strategy.

This measured start to Trump’s second term reflects his administration’s continued focus on reshaping US-China trade ties, signaling challenges ahead for the bilateral relationship.

January 20, 2025 – Trump signs executive action to delay the TikTok ban for 75 days

On January 20, 2025, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order to delay the enforcement of a TikTok ban for an additional 75 days.

Under the terms of the executive order, the U.S. Department of Justice will refrain from enforcing the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden in April 2024. The Act required TikTok to either sell its U.S. operations to an American or allied buyer or face a ban, effective January 19, 2025.

Prior to his inauguration, Trump had pledged on social media to take executive action to prevent the law from taking effect. Following this announcement, TikTok restored access for existing users after the app had been offline for more than 12 hours from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon.

It remains unclear whether TikTok will be able to continue operating in the U.S. after the 75-day delay. However, the extension provides TikTok’s China-based parent, ByteDance, with additional time to secure a potential buyer for the platform at least.

January 20, 2025 – Trump comments on reclaiming the Panama Canal, references manifest destiny for space exploration

On January 20, 2025, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump stated that the United States would take back control of the Panama Canal. During his inauguration speech, Trump reiterated his accusation that Panama had broken promises made during the 1999 transfer of the canal and had allegedly allowed China to gain influence over its operation. He remarked, “We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.” Although he did not specify when or how the US would pursue this goal, he previously suggested that military action could be a possibility, a comment that has drawn attention from both supporters and critics.

Trump’s statement on the Panama Canal was part of a wider discussion of his views on US territorial expansion. He invoked the concept of “Manifest Destiny,” historically associated with 19th-century US territorial expansion, and linked it to future goals for space exploration, specifically stating that the US would eventually aim to land astronauts on Mars. Some critics have expressed concerns that such rhetoric might encourage other countries, like Russia and China, to pursue more assertive actions in their respective geopolitical situations. Others have speculated that Trump’s statements may be a strategic move to set a strong negotiating position.

In his speech, Trump also reiterated plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and expressed dissatisfaction with the transfer of the Panama Canal, calling it a “foolish gift.” His administration’s criticisms are based on claims of unfair treatment, particularly regarding shipping costs, though Panama has denied any unfair practices and emphasized that all vessels are treated equally, including those from China. While China does not control the canal itself, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings manages two ports near the canal’s Caribbean and Pacific entrances, which has been a point of contention in US-China relations.

The Panama Canal is a crucial waterway for both global trade and the US, playing a key role in the transportation of goods from Asia and in the export of US energy resources. Following Trump’s remarks, Panama’s maritime authority announced an audit of the Panama Ports Company, which manages the ports near the canal.

January 20, 2025 – Elon Musk and China’s Vice President meet ahead of Trump’s second term

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s meeting with China’s Vice President Han Zheng in Washington, D.C., ahead of Donald Trump’s second-term inauguration, has sparked fresh speculation about Musk’s role in shaping US-China relations. According to Chinese state media, Han invited US firms, including Tesla, to deepen investments in China and strengthen economic ties. Musk reportedly reaffirmed Tesla’s commitment to expanding cooperation with China, a vital market that accounts for nearly a quarter of the company’s revenue and hosts its most productive manufacturing hub in Shanghai.

The timing of the meeting, alongside broader discussions with US business leaders, suggests China’s intent to stabilize relations with the US while maintaining economic partnerships. Musk, whose business interests are deeply tied to China, has been described as a potential intermediary between the Trump administration and the Chinese government. This comes amid unresolved tensions over trade and technology, including speculation around Musk’s involvement in a possible TikTok joint venture.

As Trump prepares to recalibrate trade policies, the meeting underscores the critical intersection of business diplomacy and geopolitics in US-China relations.

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