Donald Trump claims ¡®every nation wants to meet¡¯ as Xi Jinping¡¯s China calls US tariffs a joke and WTO warns of collapse
Donald Trump says every country, including Xi Jinping¡¯s China, wants trade talks. But Beijing calls the tariffs a joke. As tensions escalate, the WTO warns of a global trade dip that could badly hurt the world¡¯s weakest economies.
Following a White House release outlining steep new tariffs on Chinese goods, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that countries around the world, including China, were eager to hold discussions with him. He cited recent interactions with Mexican and Japanese representatives and added that Italy was next on the list. Trump posted on Truth Social that every country, including China, wanted a meeting amid the rising trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Tariff hikes cited in fact sheet
The newly released White House fact sheet outlined a series of existing and proposed tariffs on Chinese exports. These include a 125 percent tariff recently announced by Trump, and a prior 20 percent duty, both framed as a response to China¡¯s alleged inability to control fentanyl exports. Additional tariffs ranging from 7.5 to 100 percent are also under review based on national security grounds under the Trade Act of 1974.
China rejects tariffs but offers conditional talks
US President Donald Trump | Credit: X
China¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed Trump¡¯s tariff measures, saying it would not engage in what it described as a ¡°numbers game.¡± The Ministry of Finance had earlier labelled the rising tariffs as lacking any real economic effect. However, Chinese officials indicated they are open to talks¡ªonly if the US stops what they called ¡°threats and blackmail.¡± A spokesperson from the foreign ministry said dialogue should be grounded in mutual respect and equal terms, and that the US must stop putting pressure if it is serious about resolving trade issues.
No breakthrough yet for Japan as WTO warns of fallout
While the White House claims that over 75 nations have reached out to explore new trade agreements, Japan has so far seen no success in securing exemptions. After high-level meetings in Washington, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba noted that the negotiations ahead would be difficult. Talks between Japanese envoy Ryosei Akazawa and US officials, including Trump, were closely watched as indicators of how Washington is handling global trade diplomacy.
WTO forecasts trade decline
The World Trade Organization has cautioned that continuing with the current tariff policies may severely impact global trade. It projected that under the present conditions, trade volume in 2025 could shrink by 0.2 percent¡ªsignificantly lower than if tariffs were eased. The WTO also warned that the effects of these reciprocal tariffs, most of which are on hold until July, could lead to an even larger 1.5 percent drop in global goods trade, with the poorest, export-reliant countries bearing the brunt.
As global powers trade accusations, economic uncertainty deepens, putting trade-dependent nations at increased risk amid ongoing tariff disputes.
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Nancy Jaiswal is a journalist who started her career in reporting and has covered both hard and soft news. From serious city news developments to lighthearted lifestyle pieces, she has written on almost everything hapenning in India (except maybe alien invasions¡ªyet!). For her, writing isn¡¯t just work; it¡¯s a passion, an obsession, and sometimes the reason she forgets to reply to texts.
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