The standoff between Washington and Beijing continues. On March 4, President-elect Donald Trump outlined his plans for China during his address to a joint session of Congress. Trump said he intends to take new retaliatory trade measures against China, which could include new tariffs or attempts at economic isolation.
Trump’s March 4 address to Congress was his longest since returning to the White House, lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes. He noted that China has long benefited from weak US policies and that his administration will soon take retaliatory measures such as “retaliatory tariffs” to address this problem and confront China’s trade practices.
“On April 2, the retaliatory tariffs will go into effect, and whatever tariffs they impose on us, we will also impose new tariffs on them,” Trump said. He also noted that the tariffs imposed by China on American goods were, on average, twice as high as those imposed on products imported from China by Washington.
The president also criticized the “Chips and Science Act” passed in 2022. This law adopted in the states aims to increase domestic production of semiconductors and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign suppliers, especially China. The law provided significant funding for US-based chip manufacturers to increase production capacity and ensure the country’s technological and economic security. According to Trump, the funding provided by this act is being spent inefficiently. Instead, imposing tariffs on the manufacturers will increase domestic production.
