“Just a Tax on Americans”: China Targets U.S. Citizens Amid Escalating Tariff War With Trump
April 13, 2025: Beijing:
In a dramatic turn in the U.S.-China trade war, Beijing has begun targeting the American public directly, countering President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy with a clear message: “These tariffs are a tax on you, not us.”
Amid intensifying tensions, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning posted a striking video on X (formerly Twitter), featuring a man depicted as a U.S. importer. The video warns that American consumers — not Chinese manufacturers — will ultimately bear the burden of Trump’s steep tariffs through higher prices on everyday goods.
“Foreign countries pay the tariffs? No – U.S. businesses pay, then pass costs to you. Tariffs don’t bring manufacturing back. They’re just a tax on Americans,” read the caption on Mao’s post.
On Wednesday, Trump escalated the trade battle by hiking tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, a move that analysts fear could cripple global supply chains. Beijing retaliated swiftly, raising its own tariffs on U.S. imports to 125% by Friday.
The two-way tariff war threatens over $650 billion worth of bilateral trade between the world’s top two economies.
Despite the economic strain, Trump doubled down:
“We can set the tariff, and they can choose not to deal with us or they can choose to pay it,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The White House echoed that sentiment, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, “When the United States is punched, he will punch back harder.”
While Trump insists tariffs target Chinese exporters, economic experts and even Beijing’s viral video argue otherwise. Tariffs are paid by importers — typically U.S. companies — who often pass the added cost to American consumers. The result? Higher prices on electronics, household goods, and other imports.
Despite the harsh rhetoric, Trump has quietly carved out exemptions from the tariff hikes for several categories of electronics — a nod to the heavy reliance of U.S. tech giants like Apple and Dell on Chinese-made components.
In a notice from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 20 product categories — including computers, semiconductors, flat panels, and memory chips — were excluded from both the 145% China tariff and the 10% global baseline tariff, retroactive to April 5.
These exemptions provide temporary relief to industries critical to the U.S. economy and may ease tensions with companies that rely heavily on global supply chains, including Apple, which imports iPhones from India and semiconductors from Taiwan.
Even as economic rhetoric intensifies, Trump has suggested that negotiations with China remain on the table. While praising Chinese President Xi Jinping, he left the door open for a future deal.
However, with neither side showing signs of backing down, experts warn that consumers and businesses may soon feel the full brunt of the tariff war.
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