As the additional 50% US tariffs go into effect will the bottom fall out of the US-China relationship?
The US has added 50% more in tariffs on PRC goods, effective April 9th.
And in an Executive Order issued this evening the White House announced a De Minimis tariff increase from 30% to 90%:
Sec. 3. De Minimis Tariff Increase. To ensure that the imposition of tariffs pursuant to section 2 of this order is not circumvented and that the purpose of Executive Order 14257 and this action is not undermined, I also deem it necessary and appropriate to:
(a) increase the ad valorem rate of duty set forth in section 2(c)(i) of Executive Order 14256 from 30 percent to 90 percent;
Between the 104% tariffs added since January 20th and the ones from the previous two administrations, many PRC goods are now taxed at somewhere around 120%. That will decimate trade between the two countries and force massive decoupling unless there is a negotiated retreat in the not too distant future. Even if there is a negotiated, tactical retreat, significant damage has been done and the belief on the Chinese side that…