Trump tariffs dwell updates: White House says 104% tariffs on China will take impact at midnight
China has shown no sign of giving in to President Donald Trump’s threat to add a further 50 percent levy on its exports, taking the total to 104 percent.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated during a briefing on Tuesday that the additional tariffs would go into effect at midnight.
Trump has demanded that Beijing drop its retaliatory countermeasures, but the Chinese Commerce Ministry said it preferred to “fight to the end,” saying it “firmly opposes” the president’s trade war and that it considers its response “entirely justified.”
The White House is standing by the sweeping tariff program Trump imposed on some of the United States’ biggest trading partners last week, despite a global backlash that has left the world’s stock markets jittery.
After the president dug in his heels and insisted he was “not looking at” delaying their implementation, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow that 70 nations had already approached the administration about agreeing on new trade deals to ease the pain.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has launched an extraordinary attack on Trump’s economic adviser Peter Navarro, calling him “truly a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks” on X over the administration’s controversial tariff policy.
Trump administration says it cut funding to some life-saving UN food programs by mistake
The State Department said Tuesday that it had rolled back an undisclosed number of sweeping funding cuts to U.N. World Food Program emergency projects in 14 impoverished countries, saying it had terminated some of the contracts for life-saving aid by mistake.
“There were a few programs that were cut in other countries that were not meant to be cut, that have been rolled back and put into place,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.
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White House releases amended tariffs on China
The White House has officially released the amendment to President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs “applied to low-value imports” from China.
At 12:01 a.m., the order will be “amended by deleting ‘34%’ each place that it appears and by inserting ‘84%’ in lieu thereof.”
That’s on top of the 20% tariff rate already in place on Chinese imports into the U.S., taking the total to 104%.
Trump claims tariffs will help Republicans in midterms
President Donald Trump remarked about how the tariffs might impact the midterm elections in 2026.
He added that many countries have “ripped us off, left and right.”
“But now it’s our turn to do the ripping,” he added.
Trump tells Republican holdouts on budget ‘just stop grandstanding’
In his remarks at tonight’s NRCC dinner, President Donald Trump says of the Republican budget resolution holdouts in the House: “We had a great meeting today, I think we are there. But in case there are a few Republicans out there, just close your eyes and get there… just stop grandstanding.”
Watch LIVE: Trump delivers remarks at the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner
Agriculture Sec quizzed on tariffs
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that new trade deals could be established with other countries regarding tariffs by the end of this week.
Rollins made these remarks during an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier on the network’s Special Report show.
“I believe, sincerely, it will be sooner rather than later. I believe we’ll be hearing about new deals that are being struck, perhaps by the end of the week,” Rollins said, adding that 70 countries had reached out to the U.S. for discussions.
Rollins was also asked how increasing egg imports could help reduce prices in the U.S. when they would be subject to the new tariffs.
Pushed as to whether the tariffs plan was to generate revenue for the U.S. or to open negotiations with trading partners, Rollins said: “It’s an all of the above approach.”
The Trump administration has said it intended both to be the case — though any negotiation downward would significantly impinge on the collection of tariffs… 🤔
Republicans look for an exit ramp on tariffs
Eric Garcia reports from Washington, D.C.
American consumers and the stock market are not the only groups seeking relief from President Donald Trump’s whipsaw trade actions; Senate Republicans also hope to find an exit off the Trump tariff train.
Trump appears uninterested in stopping the tariff steamroller. At midnight, the administration is set to levy an additional 50 percent tariff on China if China does not retract its 34 percent retaliatory tariff. That would boost the tariffs on Chinese goods to an extraordinary 104 percent.
During a hearing at the Senate Finance Committee with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina warned that ultimately one person has to own the blame if projects go awry as he referenced his time in management consulting.
So “whose throat do I get to choke if this proves to be wrong,?” Tillis asked Greer.
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Will China target Hollywood in response to Trump’s tariffs?
China is reportedly considering a ban on all US films in retaliation for Donald Trump raising tariffs on Chinese imports.
Bloomberg News reports that in China, two widely followed bloggers with links to the local authorities shared identical lists of measures that could be introduced by Chinese authorities in response. These include “reducing or banning the import of US films.”
Kevin E G Perry reports from Los Angeles.
National Press Club reacts to judge’s order on restoring AP access to Oval Office
The National Press Club has praised today’s federal court ruling affirming that viewpoint discrimination against journalists is unconstitutional, calling it a vital step toward restoring accountability and safeguarding the public’s right to know.
“This is a critical victory for press freedom and the public’s right to independent reporting about the highest levels of government,” said National Press Club President Mike Balsamo — the national law enforcement editor for The Associated Press.
“This ruling affirms that the government cannot punish a news organization for its independent editorial decisions.”
In his decision, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden wrote: “If the Government opens its doors to some journalists … it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints. The Constitution requires no less.”
While the court’s injunction is currently stayed until April 13, the ruling makes clear that viewpoint-based exclusion of journalists violates core constitutional protections. “At a time when transparency is more vital than ever, today’s decision is a reminder that the First Amendment remains a cornerstone of our democracy,” Balsamo said. “This is not just a win for one newsroom; it’s a victory for every journalist and every American who depends on a free press.”
Source: independent.co.uk
