Official Data Posted on White House Website
Xinhua News Agency's Social Media: "Continues the Numbers Game"
NYT: Syringes and Needles Face Highest Tariff at 245%
Donald Trump, President of the United States, is walking while holding a football helmet in his hand. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
When the White House of the United States posted official data on its website indicating the tariff rate against China as '245%', Chinese state media rushed to criticize it, calling it a 'numbers game.'
On the 15th (local time), the White House stated in a fact sheet published on its website, "More than 75 countries are participating in discussions to establish new trade agreements, and as a result, high tariffs on most countries except China are temporarily suspended."
It added, "China has taken retaliatory measures, and as a result, tariffs of up to 245% are currently imposed on U.S. exports."
The Trump administration began by adding a 10% general tariff on Chinese imports in February, followed by an additional 10% tariff in March, and this month imposed high reciprocal tariffs again. However, the White House did not provide specific explanations regarding the tariff rates disclosed this time.
According to the U.S. New York Times (NYT), the items subject to the highest 245% tariff rate include ▲syringes and needles (245%), followed by ▲lithium-ion batteries (173%), ▲squid (170%), ▲wool sweaters (169%), ▲plastic tableware (159%), ▲toasters (150%), ▲electric vehicles (148%), ▲toys (145%), ▲vitamin C (145%), ▲aluminum foil (75%), ▲car wheels (73%), ▲semiconductors (70%), ▲metal furniture (70%), ▲car door hinges (67%), ▲laptop computers (20%), and ▲children’s books (0%).
Chinese state media expressed critical views on this. On the 16th, Newtanqin, a social media account affiliated with China’s Xinhua News Agency, dismissed the tariff rate of 245%, which is 100% higher than the previous 145%, as "ridiculous," recalling the Chinese government’s announcement on the 11th that it would no longer retaliate against U.S. tariff increases.
Earlier, on the 11th, the Chinese State Council announced an adjustment plan to raise tariffs on U.S. imports from 84% to 125%, stating, "No matter how high the U.S. raises tariffs in the future, it now has no economic significance and will become a laughingstock in the history of the world economy," and "Even if the U.S. continues to play the numbers game with tariffs, we will now ignore it."
Newtanqin said, "The U.S. continues to raise tariffs, but this is truly a numbers game," adding, "Of course, China has its say, but we will ignore it." It also said, "This is the 'Great Game,' and whether it brings fortune or disaster, it is unavoidable," and "If this is the disaster China must face in its development process, we must confront it bravely."
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