President Trump threatened Monday to hit China with an additional 50% tariff if Beijing doesn’t lower its 34% retaliatory tariff on the US by Tuesday.

“If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

The president imposed an additional 34% tariff on China during his reciprocal duty announcement April 2, adding to an already-imposed 20% levy earlier in his administration. 

With the 50% additional tariff, the total rate on imports from the Asian power would reach 104% of its pre-Trump level.

In response, Beijing announced its own 34% tariff early Friday, to take effect April 10.

“Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!” Trump added in his post. “Negotiations with other countries, which have also requested meetings, will begin taking place immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

In the Oval Office Monday afternoon, Trump told reporters he has “great respect” for Chinese President Xi Jinping — but insisted that the US only has “one shot” at resetting the economic “table.”

“We have an opportunity to reset the table. On trade, we lose billions of dollars. We lose close to $2 trillion a year on trade. We lose a trillion dollars a year to China. A trillion. We lose hundreds of billions of dollars a year on trade to China,” the president said while hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

“It’s the only chance we’re going to have to reset the table on trade, and when we do, we’re going to come out unbelievably well.”

National Economic Council chairman Steve Miran gave his own theory of the case Monday afternoon at a Hudson Institute event, explaining that the idea is to have tariff revenue pay for tax cuts and contribute to deficit reduction.

Miran also argued that the American market should not be so tied to Beijing, especially given the supply chain problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We clearly should not rely on our biggest adversary for equipment essential to keeping our population safe and secure,” he said.

The ideal, according to Miran, would be to have countries accept Trump’s tariffs as “burden-sharing” while continuing to invest and build in America.

“If other nations want to benefit from the US geopolitical and financial umbrella, then they need to pull their weight, and pay their fair share,” he said. “The costs cannot be solely borne by everyday Americans who have already given so much.”

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett has said that more than 50 countries have tried to talk with Trump about his tariff mandate, and the president met face-to-face with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday afternoon after imposing 17% duties on the Jewish state.

Netanyahu announced after the meeting that Israel would be dropping all tariffs and trade barriers with the US “rapidly” — and called his government an “example” for other countries to do the same.

Trump has said he already spoke to leaders of Japan and European and Asian countries about negotiating rates, and conversations are ongoing to possibly lift the levies as markets dip. 

But other White House officials sent out conflicting messaging as Trump made clear he would be open to coming to the table — including his senior counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro, who wrote in a Financial Times op-ed published Monday afternoon that the plan is “not a negotiation.”

“For the US, it is a national emergency triggered by trade deficits caused by a rigged system,” Navarro wrote. 

Earlier Monday, the president told Americans to avoid becoming “Panicans” and to be “patient”  — the first time he directly addressed investor panic over his tariffs.