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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to raise tariffs on China to 125%, stating that "somebody had to do it," and asserting that no previous American president would have taken such action.
Speaking at the White House during a meeting with Roger Penske's NASCAR, INDY, and IMSA Champions, Trump underlined the necessity of the tariff increase, describing the previous trade relationship with China as "unsustainable."
He claimed that China had earned USD 1 trillion from trade with the United States in the previous year and said his administration had reversed that situation through the implementation of higher tariffs.
"Well, I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line. No other President would have done what I did... Somebody had to do it. It had to stop because it's not sustainable. Last year, China made USD 1 trillion off trade with the United States... Now I've reversed it," he said.
Addressing the topic of reciprocal tariffs, Trump spoke of a 90-day pause extended to over 75 countries, explaining that the measure was intended for nations that refrained from retaliatory actions.
"I did a 90-day pause for the people who didn't retaliate because I told them if they retaliate, we're going to double it. And that's what I did with China because they did retaliate," he stated.
President Trump expressed optimism about the future of trade negotiations, saying he believed the outcome would be beneficial for the United States.
"It's going to work out amazingly for us in the long term," he said, adding that an agreement could be reached by the end of the year or potentially even sooner.&nbsp;
"By the end of the year, or possibly sooner, the country would have an agreement that nobody would have dreamt possible."
The President also turned his attention to trade relations with the European Union (EU), claiming the EU had not treated the United States fairly in past agreements.
"A deal is going to be made with everyone and they will be fair deals... They weren't fair to the United States. They were sucking us dry and you can't do that... People took advantage of our country and ripped us off for decades," Trump said, indicating a willingness to pursue renegotiated terms with European partners.
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US President Donald Trump (Left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Right)

Trump backs 125% China tariffs, says trade gap was unsustainable and “someone had to do it” for fairness

Trump Defends 125% China Tariff, Cites Trade Imbalance

Trump backs 125% China tariffs, says trade gap was unsustainable and “someone had to do it” for fairness

April 10, 2025 | 13:11 IST