Tit-For-Tat Continues: China Hikes Tariffs on US Imports to 125 Percent, Calls Trump's Policies 'a Joke'

Call "it" whatever you choose.

Be that a tit-for-tat between President Donald Trump and Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, a chess game, a game of "who blinks first," false Chinese pride, or whatever — "it," by definition. is a trade war between the United States and Communist China.

The answer to how long the trade war will last is unknowable — despite the multitude of "expert" prognostications to the contrary on social media by keyboard jockeys across the fruited plain. What is known, due to past trade wars, is the longer a trade war lasts, the greater the probability of rising inflation.

Finally, not to digress, but simply saying "buy American" is neither an all-encompassing solution nor is it practical — particularly given the multitude of components, not all of which are manufactured in the U.S., necessary for construction or manufacturing of untold number of products we purchase.

In an interesting twist, while China's move marks the latest escalation in the ongoing trade war, China suggested it doesn't plan to retaliate against any additional tariff increases to U.S. importers of Chinese goods. (Note: China ((or any country)) does not pay tariffs imposed by the U.S.; U.S. importers and, ultimately, end-line consumers pay tariffs imposed on imports from other countries.)

WH Confirms Huge Midnight Tariff on China—'When America Is Punched,' Trump 'Punches Back Harder'

Here's more:

As to be expected, the Chinese Finance Ministry announced the increase on U.S. imports, including spewing propaganda like it was going out of style:

The US's imposition of abnormally high tariffs on China seriously violates international economic and trade rules, and also violates basic economic laws and common sense. It is a completely unilateral bullying and coercive practice.
Given that at the current tariff level, there is no market acceptance for U.S. goods exported to China, if the U.S. continues to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the U.S., China will ignore it.

The last line is particularly interesting.

Again, given that U.S. importers pay tariffs on Chinese imports — not China — the "threat" that the ChiComs will ignore any future increase makes no sense, other than Beijing may see it as a bit of a "face-saving" response, rightly or wrongly.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce on Friday said during a news conference that Trump's tariff policy against China is a “numbers game which has no practical significance on economics," adding: "It's become a joke."

Whether or not it's a joke, Trump isn't laughing. In a recent post to Truth Social, Trump wrote:

Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable.

Other than the second line (China doesn't pay the tariff), Trump was spot on. But does it really matter? Hear me out — just for argument's sake.

While economically, China will ultimately end up with the short end of the stick if it stubbornly continues to play tit-for-tat with Trump, the country's economy, already in shambles, is no match for that of the United States. Period. Moreover, if Trump succeeds in securing a coalition of countries to stand with the U.S. against China's history of bullying trade policies, China will be out of luck even sooner.

That said — and here's the "hear me out" part — Beijing can ill afford to be seen by the rest of the world as kowtowing to the United States. That reality would have implications and unintended consequences for China far beyond international trade.

The bottom line is there are no easy answers.

While the ultimate outcome is unknowable, I urge President Trump to keep the heat on the Communist giant. There's never been a better opportunity to do so. Now is the time.

Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.

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