Donald Trump’s announcement immediately made Wall Street jump.AFP
The trade war became a duel: in a spectacular flip-flop, Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he still increased customs duties on products from China, but that he suspended from other countries for three months.
Wall Street, which had recently plunged because of the trade war launched by the White House, immediately jumped at the announcement of this break, and the price of oil, depressed by the risks of recession, has started upwards.
Relocating the second world power to the second power, the American president, the American president announced to “immediately” 125% the tax hitting Chinese imports at 125%, which he had already increased more than 100%. China must stop “stripping” the United States, he wrote on its Truth Social network.
He also assures that “more than 75 countries” have come forward to his government to “negotiate” a solution in commercial matters. According to him, these countries do not have “retaliated” against the United States, Donald Trump therefore grants them “a 90-day break and substantially reduced reciprocal rights during this period, by 10%, also effective immediately”.
Switzerland, which has not yet announced a counter-tale, should also be affected by this decision. Which has not yet been officially confirmed.
Note that the president of the Confederation, Karine Keller-Sutter spoke on Wednesday at 3 p.m. on Wednesday for 25 minutes with her American counterpart. “During this exchange, I explained to President Trump the position of Switzerland on bilateral trade, as well as the possible means to meet the objectives of the United States. We have agreed to continue discussions in the interest of the two countries, ”she wrote on X.
This breathtaking turnaround occurs in the middle of a financial tumult in the world. The American debt itself was heckled.
The United States had started only a few hours ago, at 4:00 am GMT, to collect customs from the products of 60 trade partners-with a rate of 20% for example on European products, 24% on Japanese goods-, with an already particularly brutal treatment of China (104%).
China response
The second world power had replied from the TAC-AU-TAC, announcing that it would bring its surcharge of retaliation against American products at 84%, and not at 34% as initially planned, from Thursday at 12:01 p.m. Chinese hour (4:01 GMT).
“We will continue to take firm and vigorous measures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests,” said a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The American Minister of Finance, Scott Bessent, had already warned the other business partners that following the Chinese way is “suicidal”, when Donald Trump assured, with the vulgarity of which he is sometimes capable, that many foreign leaders “lick his ass” to negotiate “tailor -made” trade agreements.
(afp)
