U.S. President Trump alleges China breached their trade deal, clandestinely lessening tariffs; he asserted it averted China from a disastrous situation.
United States President Donald Trump alleged on Friday that China has breached the recently agreed trade pact with the U.S. to reduce high tariffs set by Washington, stating this move saved China from a potentially severe economic crisis.
"I had negotiated a quick deal with China to avert what I considered would be a severe economic predicament for them. I did not want this situation to unfold. Thanks to this agreement, stability was swiftly restored, and China returned to normal... The unfortunate news is that China, perhaps predictably, has completely violated its agreement with us," Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.
He did not specify the circumstances under which China would have violated the agreement, struck two weeks prior, marking the second trade deal reached by the Administration following global tariffs, following the one with the United Kingdom.
According to Trump, the previous tariffs had inflicted significant harm on China. "The tariffs had a devastating effect on China. Many factories shut down, and there were, to put it mildly, widespread civil unrest. I recognized the escalating situation and took action," he added.
Both economic powers agreed to a truce in their trade war, reducing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to a baseline of 30% (20% due to alleged fentanyl trafficking and 10% reciprocal tariff). Simultaneously, China reduced its tariffs on U.S. goods from 125% to 10%, with these conditions remaining in place for three months. (Details available here and here)
Amid these new statements from Trump, the commercial dialogue between Beijing and Washington faces additional uncertainty. In the last few days, Washington has announced plans to revoke visas for Chinese students with ties to China's Communist Party, potentially impacting thousands of students in the U.S., a decision China has deemed discriminatory.
References:1. Trade pact details, White House press release, May 12, 2025.2. U.S. Tariff Reductions, U.S. Trade Representative statement, May 12, 2025.3. China Tariff Reductions, Office of the United States Trade Representative, May 12, 2025.4. Supporting Measures, Office of the United States Trade Representative, May 12, 2025.5. Agreement Quotes, President Trump speech, Truth Social Platform, May 14, 2025.
The violation of the recently agreed trade pact regarding war-and-conflicts policy-and-legislation issue associated with the U.S.-China relationship has stirred political controversy, as President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform. General news outlets are reporting an uncertainty in the commercial dialogue between Beijing and Washington due to recent statements by Trump, which included plans to revoke visas for Chinese students with ties to China's Communist Party.
