Tariff Policy · Full chronicle and history

According to a tweet posted by @clashreport, Bessent publicly stated that he had requested European allies in the spring to join the U.S. in imposing secondary tariffs on China and India, but was rejected by the European side. Bessent questioned this, arguing that the U.S. should not bear the associated economic burden alone.

According to a Ministry of Commerce announcement on September 30, imports of beef from Brazil reached 100% of the 2026 quota of 1.106 million tons on September 29. Starting from 0:00 on October 1, an additional 55% tariff will be levied on top of the current tax rates. This safeguard measure takes effect on January 1, 2026 and lasts for three years.

China's Ministry of Commerce released a number of trade and economic implementation documents, including a tariff reduction list for the United States covering multiple agricultural products and high-end medical equipment, and extending the Kuala Lumpur tariff truce to January 2027.

The United States and China have released lists of goods subject to reciprocal tariff cuts totaling as much as $60 billion, and extended the trade truce to January 2027.

On September 28, after Xi Jinping's visit to the US, the Ministry of Commerce released a 38-page list of products subject to reciprocal tariff reductions, covering corn, wheat, sorghum, meat, and seed soybeans, among others. However, non-seed US soybeans, a major trade item, were not included and still face an additional 10% tariff. The tariff reduction arrangements will be implemented after completing domestic legal procedures.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that the US and China have agreed to extend the trade truce, originally set to expire on November 10, to January 10, 2027, continuing negotiations on issues such as tariffs, fentanyl, soybeans, and rare earths.

On September 18, the United States officially signed the Graham Act, comprehensively strengthening sanctions against Russia, extending relevant sanctions against Iran, and clarifying that secondary tariffs of up to 100% can be imposed on third countries importing Russian oil and natural gas, which prompted a response of opposition from the Ministry of Commerce of China.

On September 18, Trump said at a White House press conference that Xi Jinping will visit the US next week and that the two sides will hold a positive meeting, saying he does not rule out reaching multiple agreements with China, that he raised tariffs on China to 145% last year and now holds new tools, and that the US is also conducting espionage against China.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive sanctions bill against Russia on September 16 by a vote of 262 to 159, restricting Russian energy revenue and imposing tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue to purchase large amounts of Russian energy. China, as Russia's largest oil buyer, bears the brunt of the bill, which will be sent to Trump for signature.

Trump told reporters on September 16 that if the EU makes Canada its first associate member, he would impose very serious tariffs on Europe or halt trade, and called Canada a terrible trading partner.

U.S. President Trump announced on Truth Social that due to the breakdown of trade talks between the two countries, a 50% tariff will be imposed on Canadian automobiles, auto parts, and steel starting next January.

Due to Canada's refusal to finalize a trade agreement according to previously agreed-upon terms and the introduction of new demands, the United States will impose a 50% tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian products starting from the early hours of August 22, 2026.

Trump has delayed the 50% tariff on Canadian goods originally scheduled to take effect on August 19 due to an agreement reached between the U.S. and Canada. The new deadline is Saturday, Eastern Time.

On August 14, the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy released a report titled "The Great Transshipment Scam," stating that over 40 countries have helped China evade tariffs imposed by Trump through transshipment. Taiwan, along with Japan, South Korea, and the EU, were listed as Tier 1 transshipment risk regions.

On July 28, 2026, Bloomberg reported that U.S. customs officials launched surprise inspections of multiple manufacturing companies in Vietnam involving Chinese investment, focusing on investigating whether transshipment trade is being used to evade U.S. tariffs by laundering the country of origin.

On July 24, the United States imposed new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on nearly all imported goods from 60 countries, citing insufficient enforcement by these trading partners of bans on products made with forced labor.

On July 23, US Trade Representative Greer invoked Section 301, adding 12.5% on top of existing tariffs on 38 economies including China and Hong Kong on the grounds of inadequate forced labor enforcement, effective in the early hours of July 24.

Greer explained the Trump administration's 2020 trade policy agenda to the Senate Finance Committee, stating that the U.S. goods trade deficit and dependence on China have both declined.

At a press conference, Trump mentioned that Toyota built its largest factory in Texas due to tariff considerations, in order to avoid high tariffs on cars manufactured in Mexico and sold to the U.S. market. He believes this is a measure to protect American workers.

On June 19, 2026, the Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau of China's Ministry of Commerce issued an announcement, ruling that increased imports of beef cause injury to the domestic industry, and imposing a 55% tariff on imported beef originating in Australia effective June 20.

On June 2, 2026, the U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative proposed a measure to impose a 12.5% tariff on Chinese products due to forced labor investigations.

The video cited data claiming that U.S. Customs refunded $49.1 billion in tariffs in June 2026, while newly collected tariffs that month totaled $23.6 billion.

The video says that in February 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the related tariff measures unconstitutional.

On December 31, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced quota restriction measures on beef imports from countries including Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia and the United States, imposing an additional 55% tariff on beef imports exceeding the quota.

On October 9, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce of China announced the strictest rare earth export control measures to date, and Trump immediately announced an additional 100% tariff on China; after a ceasefire was reached in early November, China suspended the measure.

Trump warned that any country whose policies align with BRICS's anti-U.S. stance will be subject to an additional 10% tariff.

The Trump administration had raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% earlier this year, after which China and the United States temporarily lowered tariffs and maintained a trade truce. Trump said relevant talks would be held during the summit.

On April 9, 2025 (US Eastern Time), after violent swings in the bond and stock markets, Trump announced a 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs (except for China), and the three major US stock indexes immediately surged.