China Has Come Through Trump’s Trade War in a Good Position

China’s response to President Trump’s new round of tariffs was muted. Beijing issued a statement in protest, but unlike in past rounds of tit-for-tat, it did not lob a counter.

China has cause to be low key. It has so far emerged from the trade war with the United States in a better position. One year ago President Trump threatened tariffs on Chinese goods as high as 145 percent. The levies that Mr. Trump imposed on Chinese goods on Friday were just 12.5 percent.

Factoring in earlier tariffs, including those from Mr. Trump’s first presidency, the overall average weighted tariff on Chinese goods is now 23.1 percent — lower than Brazil or Canada.

Chinese officials are also confident that tariffs will not rise much further, after securing an assurance of a truce from U.S. trade negotiators. That agreement, which trade experts have placed at about a 20 percent cap, was later sealed with a handshake between China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, and Mr. Trump last October.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/business/china-tariffs-trump.html