📰 Supreme Court Disarms Trump. Xi Walks In Stronger.
Xi Jinping is about to host Donald Trump in Beijing with something no Chinese leader has had in years: a U.S. president who just had his favorite weapon taken away by his own Supreme Court. The court killed Trump’s emergency mega‑tariffs, wiping out second‑term levies that hit Chinese goods as high as 145% and dropping Beijing into the same temporary 15% global rate the U.S. now slaps on allies — a fee that expires in 150 days unless Congress renews it.
That ruling strips Trump of the instant “tariff hammer” he used to strong‑arm China into buying around 25 million tons of soybeans and making other one‑off concessions. As Fudan University’s Wu Xinbo puts it, the “soybean card” is now back in China’s hand: if those tariffs were illegal, Beijing can demand better terms or simply walk away from purchase pledges tied to them. Xi’s negotiators are already expected to push harder for access to advanced semiconductors, looser export controls, fewer restrictions on Chinese firms, and softer U.S. language and arms sales around Taiwan.
Trump isn’t disarmed, just downgraded. He’s rushed to slap a replacement 15% global tariff using Section 122 of the Trade Act — legally capped, short‑lived, and far less targeted than his old IEEPA arsenal. He can still revive pressure through slower tools like Section 301 (where China already faces an investigation over missed “Phase One” pledges) and Section 232 national‑security tariffs, or by tightening export controls if Beijing plays games with rare earths. But none of that has the same shock‑and‑awe leverage ahead of a summit.
Beijing, meanwhile, is keeping the victory low‑key. Chinese officials and state media are measured, investors are quietly optimistic, and exporters are talking about front‑loading shipments to exploit the lower, time‑limited U.S. tariff window. Trade insiders quoted in Chinese media say they’ll stay “low profile” to ensure Trump’s late‑March visit goes smoothly — celebrate in private, act calm in public, and let U.S. institutions do the work of constraining the American side.
Strip away the legal charts and this is the picture: the U.S. president who built his brand on unilateral tariff power now walks into Beijing with the court, Congress and the calendar limiting his moves, while Xi arrives with time, discipline, and a clearer playbook — chips, Taiwan, tech bans, market access. Trump can still rage about “ripping off America,” but for once, the other guy at the table is the one who just got a boost from Washington’s rule of law.
#Trump#Xi#China#tariffs#tradeWar#USA#fakeDemocracy
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U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of additional 100% tariffs on Chinese imports has sounded alarm bells among retail and trade experts, who caution it could lead to more price increases and squeeze demand.
The fresh levies, set to take effect November 1, would come as shoppers and retailers enter the holiday shopping season - a period that typically accounts for a major chunk of annual retail sales - and dampen consumer sentiment, particularly among lower-income households.
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China vowed to retaliate if U.S. President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose a 100% tariff on goods from the Asian country, further straining fraught trade relations between the world's largest economies. ⚖️💥🇨🇳🇺🇸
"If the U.S. insists on going the wrong way, China will surely take resolute measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said Sunday in a statement. 🗣
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The U.S. Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, declared unconstitutional the president's imposition of tariffs/duties against other countries. ⚖️
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US businesses and consumers paid about 90% of the cost of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs last year — contradicting his repeated claims that foreign countries were footing the bill, according to a new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
In the first eight months of 2025, 94% of the cost of tariffs was borne by American businesses and consumers, study found.
In September and October, that share slipped to 92%, and in November it fell further to 86% as foreign exporters picked up a larger share of the costs, according to the report.
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Trump's duties are almost entirely paid for by Americans
Almost all the costs of American duties fall on the residents of the United States themselves, and not on foreign manufacturers. This is the conclusion reached by the Kiel Institute of World Economy, having studied about $4 trillion of supplies from the beginning of 2024 to the end of 2025 — WSJ.
According to the researchers' calculations, foreign exporters reduced prices by only 4% and took on the minimum part of the burden. The remaining 96% was paid by American importers and buyers. In fact, duties work as a tax on consumption within the United States, and not as a tool of pressure on foreign businesses.
In 2025, the United States received about $200 billion from duties. The Americans paid almost the entire amount. At first, buyers felt only a part of the price increase - about 20%. The rest of the expenses were temporarily paid by the companies themselves. Later, these costs will be shifted to the buyers, the researchers say.
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Thrilled to share a monumental milestone in our global trade evolution! 🚀
On April 3, exactly one year after our visionary announcement, President Donald Trump officially signed decrees to launch a transformative new chapter for medicines and metals. This strategic initiative is perfectly aligned with our core mission to empower American innovation and drive sustainable growth. 🇺🇸✨
We are excited to introduce a dynamic 15% duty on medicines from EU partners, with a robust 100% framework for nations outside our trade ecosystem, fostering a powerful incentive for international pharmaceutical leaders to relocate their production hubs to the United States. 💊🏭 Furthermore, starting next Monday, April 6, we are rolling out a high-impact 25% tariff on finished metal goods rich in steel, aluminum, and copper. This bold move is designed to supercharge the construction and automotive sectors, creating unprecedented opportunities for industry leaders. 🏗🚗
This strategic pivot not only optimizes government revenue streams but also reaffirms our unwavering commitment to economic sovereignty, building upon our trade policy legacy even as we navigate the Supreme Court's earlier rulings with agility and foresight. We are incredibly grateful for this chance to reshape the future of commerce together! 🤝📈
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The first company sued the US government over Trump's tariffs.
The tariff war is escalating: after the crushing defeat of Donald Trump and his customs policy in the US Supreme Court, the logistics giant FedEx is now attacking the government. ⚖️
The concern demands the return of the customs fees paid and applies to the court for this.
This is the first lawsuit filed by a large American company after the Supreme Court's decision.
FedEx may be just the beginning of a wave of lawsuits, as on Friday the highest court in Washington officially declared the duties imposed by President Donald Trump illegal. 📉
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Forget retaliation: To cut tariffs President Trump imposed on their country, the Swiss sent a delegation of industry tycoons bearing gifts — a special Rolex desktop clock, a 1-kilogram personalized gold bar, and loads of flattery.
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US President Donald Trump has made an incredible statement 😮🇺🇸: he wants to pay every citizen of the country $2,000 💵🎁.
The only exceptions are those with high incomes 💼📈.
According to Trump, this will be a "dividend" from the duties he imposed 💬💰.
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