admin
President Trump’s tough new tariffs on China kicked in today, hitting 104% on goods from the communist regime. The move sent shockwaves through global markets, but experts say it’s a necessary step to protect American workers and industries. Gordon Chang, a foreign policy analyst, praised the tariffs on Newsmax’s “Newsline,” arguing the U.S. shouldn’t trade with China at all—both for strategic reasons and because of Beijing’s human rights abuses.
The White House says these tariffs are about forcing China to play fair. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the goal is to get trading partners to offer better deals. “Bring us your best offers,” she said, echoing Trump’s message. The administration claims the tariffs are already bringing in nearly $2 billion daily, money they say will help rebuild American manufacturing.
China isn’t backing down. Its government promised “countermeasures” and said it will fight “to the end.” But Chang insists Trump won’t back off. He believes China’s economy is weaker than it looks and that Beijing can’t afford a long trade war. Meanwhile, the Chinese people are already feeling the pinch, with state media admitting the economy is under strain.
Stock markets in Asia and Europe tumbled after the tariffs took effect. Japan’s Nikkei dropped nearly 4%, and European indexes fell over 2%. But U.S. futures rebounded slightly, suggesting investors still have faith in Trump’s strategy. The president says the short-term pain is worth it to bring jobs back to America. Critics warn of higher prices, but Trump allies argue inflation is a small price to pay for independence from China.
Trump isn’t just targeting China. Allies like Japan and South Korea are being pushed to cut their own tariffs, while countries like Argentina and Vietnam are already offering deals. The president says these negotiations will create a new global trade system that puts America first. “We’re making tailored deals,” Trump told Republicans, adding that foreign leaders are lining up to talk.
The European Union is trying to stay neutral, urging both sides to avoid escalation. But the EU is also preparing its own tariffs on U.S. goods like soybeans and motorcycles. Canada hit back with auto tariffs, showing how the trade fight is spreading. Despite the chaos, Trump remains confident. “China wants a deal badly,” he said, “but they don’t know how to start.”
Democrats and some economists say the tariffs will hurt ordinary Americans. But conservatives counter that decades of weak trade policies let China steal jobs and technology. Chang points to China’s forced labor camps and intellectual property theft as reasons to cut ties completely. “Morally, we can’t keep doing business with a regime that brutalizes its people,” he argued.
The next few weeks will be critical. China’s retaliatory tariffs take effect tomorrow, and the U.S. is preparing more measures, including new levies on pharmaceuticals. Trump supporters say this is the leadership America needs—someone willing to stare down Beijing and rebuild the economy from the ground up. As Chang put it, “This isn’t just about trade. It’s about survival.”
