President Donald Trump

In an unexpected move, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for most countries—excluding China—marking a temporary shift from his typically aggressive trade stance. The announcement, made via Truth Social on April 9, reduces tariffs to a flat 10% for affected nations. Trump cited outreach from over 75 countries and their lack of retaliation as motivation for this pause, calling it an opportunity for renewed trade negotiations. However, he reinforced his hardline approach toward China by raising tariffs on Chinese imports from 104% to 125%, citing continued unfair practices and disrespect for global markets.

This decision comes after Trump’s April 3 declaration of a national economic emergency and sweeping tariff hikes on global partners, including a 34% tariff on Chinese goods and 20% on EU imports. The immediate market response was negative, with stock futures dropping and fears of rising consumer costs. Trump defended the measures as necessary to protect American workers and fix decades of trade imbalance. While his administration views the tariff pause as a potential reset, critics remain wary. The 90-day window could lead to real progress—or signal only a temporary pause before more economic turbulence ahead.