Trump raises tariff against China to 125% and announces a 90-day truce for other countries

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Wednesday (9) a new hardening of trade relations with China. In a post on social media, the Republican confirmed the increase of import tariffs on Chinese products to 125%, effective immediately. At the same time, he ordered a 90-day pause on the implementation of harsher tariffs for other countries that, according to him, "sought to negotiate."

The decision was justified by Trump as a response to the "disrespect of China for global markets." According to the statement, the measure aims to pressure Beijing to reassess its trade stance. "The days of exploiting the U.S. and other countries are no longer sustainable or acceptable," wrote the president on his social media platform Truth Social.

While China was isolated from the tariff truce, more than 75 countries benefited from the temporary reduction of tariffs to 10%. According to Trump, these countries sought representatives from the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and USTR (United States Trade Representative) with the aim of opening dialogue on trade barriers, currency manipulation, and other distortions in international trade.

The reaction in the markets was immediate. The dollar, which was flirting with R$ 6.00, fell 1.45% and retreated to R$ 5.90 at 2:44 PM (Brasilia time). The Ibovespa reacted positively and surged 3.8%, reaching the day's high. In the United States, the indices also reacted with optimism: the Dow Jones rose 6.59%, the S&P 500 advanced 7.17%, and the Nasdaq, 8.80%.

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, commented on the measure on social media, classifying Trump's post as "one of the most extraordinary of his presidency." According to him, the world would be "ready to work with Trump to fix global trade," while China, according to the secretary, "chose the opposite direction."