Skip to content
Topline
President Donald Trump extended a pause on tariffs against Chinese imports to the U.S. for another 90 days Monday, hours before an initial 90-day moratorium was set to expire on the 145% tariff on Chinese goods Trump imposed briefly in May, according to multiple reports.
President Donald Trump attends a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, August 11, 2025. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu via Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump signed an executive order to extend the truce until Nov. 9, multiple outlets reported, citing an unnamed White House official.
The U.S. and China reached an initial temporary agreement in May after talks in Sweden, lowering Trump’s tariffs from 145% to 30% (including a 10% baseline tariff and 20% additional penalty for fentanyl imports) for 90 days, while China agreed to lower its retaliatory levies from 125% to 10% and agreed to lift a moratorium on exports of rare earth magnets.
U.S. and Chinese officials hinted at the extended pause in the preceding days, with Trump telling reporters at the White House on Monday “we’ll see what happens,” adding “they’ve been dealing quite nicely—the relationship is very good with President Xi and myself.”
Chinese officials also said earlier Monday they were optimistic about a delay in implementing the higher tariffs, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian saying in a statement “we hope that the U.S. will work with China to follow the important consensus reached during the phone call between the two heads of state,” an apparent reference to the June phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, The Guardian reported.
What To Watch For
Trump in a Truth Social post Sunday urged China to “quadruple” purchases of U.S. soybeans, as Beijing—the largest buyer of American oilseed—has yet to book any cargoes for the upcoming harvest as of late July amid the trade standoff, Bloomberg reported, citing government data.
Tangent
Trump announced Monday gold imports will not face tariffs, alleviating fears among importers after Customs and Border Protection informed businesses that gold bars ranging from one to 100 kilos would be subject to tariffs.
Key Background
The extension of the pause on China tariffs marks Trump’s latest reverse course on trade after threatening a wide range of “reciprocal tariffs” on “Liberation Day” in April. Trump’s initial pause on the Liberation Day tariffs for most U.S. trading partners was lifted Thursday, driving tariffs to an average of more than 18%, the highest level since 1934, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Some countries, including Japan, South Korea and the European Union, negotiated individual trade deals with the U.S. during the pause. Trump also announced last week a new 50% tariff on India, double the current rate, in part as punishment for purchasing Russian oil as Trump has sought to negotiate an end to Russia’s war with Ukraine. China could also face an additional levy as punishment for buying Russian oil, Vice President JD Vance warned Sunday on Fox News.
Further Reading
Trump ‘TACO’ Tracker: Here Are The President’s 28 Tariff Flip-Flops (Forbes)
Trump Doubles India Tariffs To 50% In Retaliation For Russian Oil Purchases (Forbes)
