Trump Claims China Has ‘Totally Violated’ a Trade Agreement on Tariffs

The claim comes as trade talks with China have stalled, according to the Treasury secretary.

AP/Evan Vucci
President Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, May 23, 2025, in Washington. AP/Evan Vucci

“So much for being Mr. NICE GUY,” President Trump said as he lashed out at China on Friday morning, accusing the country of breaking a temporary trade deal.

In a post on his Truth Social account, Mr. Trump said that his “very high tariffs” had been devastating for China. “I saw what was happening and didn’t like it, for them, not for us,” Mr. Trump wrote. “I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation.”

He said that things had stabilized and “everybody was happy,” but now he claims China has “totally violated its agreement with the U.S.,” but didn’t explain what the violations were that concerned him.

China had said it would cut most tariffs on American products to 10 percent from 125 percent as further negotiations continued for a more permanent deal. In return, Washington lowered tariffs on China to 30 percent from 145 percent. The agreement, after talks in Switzerland, also called for both nations to cancel some tariffs altogether.

Friday’s post comes as Mr. Trump’s tariff policy remains in flux. An appeals court on Thursday put a hold on a ruling the previous day that voided the sweeping tariffs that he put in place by declaring an economic emergency. The tariffs will remain while the court decides on the legality of the policy. The matter could eventually end up at the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, Secretary Bessent said in an interview on Fox News that talks with China were stalled. “I think that given the magnitude of the talks, given the complexity, that this is going to require [leaders of both the countries] to weigh in with each other,” Mr. Bessent said.

Mr. Trump has seesawed back and forth on deploying tariffs since he unveiled them in early April in a “Liberation Day” Rose Garden announcement. The president invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to empower himself to institute the tariffs. Various administration officials have given different explanations for the goals of the tariffs. Some have called them permanent, while others have said they’re just a negotiating tool.

The tariffs have not yet fully affected the U.S. economy but several large companies have warned of big financial hits and some retailers say they plan to pass some of the added expenses to customers.


The New York Sun

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