Washington DC: The Oval Office turned into a stage of warnings and numbers on Monday night. US President Donald Trump issued what he called a “potential” 155 per cent tariff threat to China. The move, he said, would take effect from November 1 if there was no trade deal between Washington and Beijing.
Trump spoke at the White House during a high-level meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Cameras caught his tone, which was sharp, certain and filled with talk of money.
“I think China has been very respectful of us. They are paying tremendous amounts of money to us in the form of tariffs. As you know, they are paying 55 per cent; that is a lot of money,” he said.
#WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, “I think China’s been very respectful of us. They are paying tremendous amounts of money to us in the form of tariffs. As you know, they are paying 55%, that’s a lot of money…A lot of countries took advantage of the US and they are not… pic.twitter.com/gB75dD0mJJ
— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2025
The US president said countries once took advantage of America, but that period was over. “A lot of countries took advantage of the United States and they are not able to take advantage anymore. China’s paying 55 per cent and a potential 155 per cent come November 1st unless we make a deal,” Trump said.
He then spoke of his next move, a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. “I am meeting with President Xi. We have a very good relationship; we are going to be meeting in South Korea in a couple of weeks… I think we are going to work out something which is good for both the countries,” he stated.
He said he expected “a fair and really great trade deal” once the meetings were done. “I think when we finish our meetings in South Korea, China and I will have a really fair and really great trade deal together. I want them to buy soybeans… It is going to be fantastic for both countries, and it is going to be fantastic for the entire world,” he stated.
The day also saw Trump and Albanese sign a multi-billion dollar agreement on critical minerals and defence cooperation.
Albanese said, “USD 8.5 billion is in the pipeline.”
The deal followed months of talks between the two allies and is expected to boost supply-chain security, energy independence and military cooperation.
Hours before the meeting, Trump wrote on Truth Social about a new tariff plan. He said an additional 100 per cent tariff on Chinese goods would come into force “over and above any tariff that they are currently paying” from November 1.
His post said China had taken “an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade” and sent “an extremely hostile letter to the world”.
Trump wrote, “Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the USA, and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software.”
He added, “It has just been learnt that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the world, stating that they were going to, effective November 1, 2025, impose large-scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them. This affects ALL Countries, without exception, and was obviously a plan devised by them years ago. It is absolutely unheard of in International Trade, and a moral disgrace in dealing with other Nations.”
Before ending the meeting, Trump revealed a new plan. “I have been invited to go to China. And I am going to be doing that sometime fairly early next year,” he said.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
