Today's News: China Retaliates Against Tariffs

In response to President Donald Trump’s 10% tariff on all Chinese imports, China has announced retaliatory tariffs of 10% to 15% on U.S. coal, liquefied natural gas, crude oil, agricultural machinery.

The Newsie Project is an experiment using AI tools to survey contemporary reporting. It attempts to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US online news sources.

Photo: The New York Times

Overview

• Date: February 4, 2025

• Topic: China Retaliates Against Trump's Tariffs, Escalating Trade Tensions

• Summary: In response to President Donald Trump’s 10% tariff on all Chinese imports, China has announced retaliatory tariffs of 10% to 15% on U.S. coal, liquefied natural gas, crude oil, agricultural machinery, and automobiles, effective February 10. Additionally, China has placed export restrictions on tungsten and other key industrial minerals, launched an antitrust investigation into Google, and blacklisted U.S. companies PVH Corp. and Illumina. The dispute, tied to accusations of Chinese inaction on fentanyl trafficking, threatens to escalate into a full-scale trade war. Trump has paused tariffs on Canada and Mexico after securing border security commitments, but no deal has been struck with China. Both sides have hinted at further negotiations, though no immediate talks have been confirmed.

Sources

• CNN: China hits back as Trump’s tariffs go into effect

• NBC News: China hits back at Trump with new tariffs on U.S. products

• Fox Business: China responds with tariffs on US goods after Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports take effect

• The New York Times: Trump Tariffs Live Updates: China Retaliates After 10% Levy Takes Effect

• The Wall Street Journal: Trump Tariffs: U.S. President, Xi Won't Speak Tuesday After China Retaliates

• The Washington Post: China strikes back at Trump’s tariffs with levies on U.S. imports

Key Points

• China is imposing tariffs of 10% to 15% on select U.S. goods, including coal, LNG, crude oil, farm machinery, and automobiles.

• Beijing has introduced export controls on critical minerals like tungsten and launched an antitrust investigation into Google.

• The Chinese government has blacklisted U.S. companies PVH Corp. (Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger) and Illumina.

• Trump has paused tariffs on Canada and Mexico after border security agreements but has not reached a deal with China.

• Both sides have left room for further negotiations, though immediate talks remain uncertain.

Unique Highlights

• CNN: China’s tariffs affect only about $20 billion of U.S. imports, a relatively small proportion of total trade, suggesting a measured response.

• NBC News: China’s retaliation is less severe than in Trump’s first term, reflecting its current economic slowdown and efforts to avoid further escalation.

• Fox Business: China’s new tariffs and restrictions on rare earths could impact U.S. high-tech industries, particularly semiconductor manufacturers like Nvidia.

• The New York Times: Trump’s adviser Peter Navarro initially claimed Trump and Xi would speak on Tuesday, but later reports contradicted this, saying no talks were scheduled.

• The Wall Street Journal: U.S. stock markets remained relatively stable despite the trade tensions, with the Dow and Nasdaq showing gains.

• The Washington Post: Trump has indicated that tariffs on China could rise further if negotiations do not yield a favorable outcome.

Contrasting Details

• CNN and The Washington Post emphasize China’s retaliation as relatively moderate, while Fox Business frames it as a strategic move to target key U.S. industries.

• NBC News highlights that China has opted for a more restrained response compared to previous trade disputes, whereas The Wall Street Journal underscores the risk of further escalation.

• The New York Times initially reported an impending Trump-Xi call, later corrected to say no immediate talks were planned.

• Fox Business and The Washington Post stress that Trump is using tariffs as leverage to pressure China on fentanyl and trade issues.

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This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).