Watch Trump: Tariffs Give ‘Tremendous Power Over China’ To Get A Deal

January 24th, 2025, 10:17 AM GMT+0000

President Donald Trump said he’d prefer not to have to impose tariffs on China, his latest dovish remark toward the world’s second-biggest economy even as he continues to threaten sweeping action. “We have one very big power over China, and that’s tariffs, and they don’t want them,” the US leader told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview that aired Thursday in the US. “And I’d rather not have to use it. But it’s a tremendous power over China.”

Trump has wielded tariffs as a frequent threat against friends and adversaries, and for the US promised additional revenue from them would help fund his domestic priorities. The US leader threatened on his second day in office to put 10% tariffs on China as soon as Feb. 1 for allowing fentanyl to “pour” into America. Jenni Marsh who leads our economy and government coverage in China joins Stephen Carroll and Caroline Hepker on Bloomberg Radio to discuss why Trump may be softening his tone (Source: Bloomberg)