Nhà Trắng áp siêu thuế 104% với Trung Quốc
In a move that has jolted global markets and escalated tensions to a boiling point, the White House announced on April 8, 2025, a staggering 104% tariff on all Chinese imports, effective immediately, marking the most aggressive salvo yet in President Donald Trump’s trade war with Beijing. Unveiled by Vice President J.D. Vance at a press conference alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the “super tariff”—a leap from the existing 34% rate—targets China’s $391 billion in exports to the U.S., aiming to obliterate its $279 billion trade surplus from 2024. As stocks tumble, gas hits $4.20 a gallon, and X erupts with both cheers and panic, this seismic policy shift promises to reshape economies, test alliances, and push U.S.-China relations to the brink.
The decision follows months of brinkmanship. Trump, re-elected with 47% approval (Gallup, March), had warned of a 50% tariff hike unless China slashed its own 34% counter-levies and halted alleged currency manipulation. Beijing’s refusal—coupled with Foreign Ministry attacks on Vance for his “Chinese peasants” jab—lit the fuse. “They’ve been ripping us off for decades,” Vance declared, flanked by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who called it “a win for American workers.” The 104% rate—34% base plus a 70% “reciprocal” penalty—dwarfs Vietnam’s recent 46% hit, which tanked its stocks by $40 billion, and signals Trump’s resolve to “level the playing field” no matter the cost. On X, MAGA exults: “China’s done—Trump’s a legend!”
The fallout was instant. Wall Street shuddered—the Dow shed 1,200 points since March, with Monday’s news slicing another 500 as Apple, reliant on Chinese assembly, lost $638 billion in market cap over three days. U.S. consumers, already battered by 4.3% inflation, brace for a hammer blow: iPhones could jump 40%, Walmart shelves thin out, and Goldman Sachs predicts a $500 billion GDP hit by 2026 if retaliation spreads. China, holding $1 trillion in U.S. Treasuries, vowed a “fight to the end,” with state media hinting at dumping bonds—a move that could spike U.S. interest rates to 5%. “This isn’t trade—it’s war,” an X economist warned, as Weibo lit up with 200 million views cursing “American arrogance.”
Vietnam’s $40 billion crash offers a grim preview. China’s economy, though vaster at $17 trillion, isn’t immune—$391 billion in U.S. exports supports 20 million jobs, per Oxford Economics, and a 104% tariff could slash that by half. Xi Jinping, facing 6% growth and youth unrest, can’t afford collapse; rare-earth bans (90% of U.S. supply) and soybean cuts loom as counterpunches. “They’ll bleed us, but we’ll outlast them,” a Beijing official told *Global Times*, while X split: “China folds—too dependent!” versus “They’ll bury us—too big!” Trump’s base shrugs—47% in an X poll back the tariff, echoing Vance’s “hillbilly” defiance of global elites.
The White House frames it as justice. “China’s peasants don’t own us anymore,” Vance quipped, tying it to Rust Belt gains—Apple’s $500 billion U.S. investment, 50,000 jobs promised. Lutnick touted “reordering global trade,” with Vietnam’s concessions (zero duties on U.S. planes) as proof allies bend. But critics see madness. “This is economic suicide,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted, as Ted Cruz’s 2026 “bloodbath” fear gains traction—2 million U.S. jobs could vanish if China retaliates fully. “Trump’s playing poker with our future,” an X detractor fumed, noting gas at $4.20 and groceries up 7% already strain families.
Globally, it’s a domino drop. Japan’s Nikkei fell 2%, Macron’s EU investment pause accelerates, and Netanyahu’s deficit vow looks quaint beside this titan clash. “The world’s picking sides,” an X user mused, as 50 nations scramble—per aide Kevin Hassett—to dodge Trump’s wrath. China’s Weibo brags of high-speed rail and AI, but factories in Shenzhen brace for shutdowns; U.S. ports like LA face empty cranes. “Trump wins short-term—China long-term,” Goldman wagered, citing Xi’s 10-year tech edge versus U.S. midterm chaos.
X is a battlefield. “Super tariff = super win—China’s toast!” MAGA crows, with “#TrumpRules” trending. Libs counter: “104% screws us—shortages incoming!” Some see irony—Musk’s $70 million *The View* suit and Kim Soo Hyun’s $5 million fire gift fade as Trump’s tax steals headlines. Vance’s April 3 “peasants” line, once a spark, now feels prophetic; Leavitt’s CNN ban nods to the same defiance. “We love JD—China’s scared!” fans cheer, though 51% disapprove of Trump (Gallup), hinting at blowback.
Who wins? Trump’s 104% gambit—backed by 47% on X—crushes China short-term; $391 billion in exports could halve, per OCBC. But Beijing’s depth—1.4 billion consumers, $1 trillion in bonds—bites back long-term. Vietnam’s $40 billion loss was a warning; China’s could be a tsunami. In 2025’s mess—Barrett’s Trump snub, Macron’s defiance—Trump’s tax isn’t just a blow; it’s a bet on America’s grit. X roars, markets quake, and the world waits: superpower showdown, no mercy, no retreat.
