Trump Escalates US-China Trade War: Tariffs Surge to 29.3% with Potential 100% Duties on Strategic Sectors

Welcome to China Tariff News and Tracker, your essential update on the escalating US-China trade tensions under President Trump's second administration. As of early 2026, the average effective US tariff rate on Chinese goods stands at around 29.3%, according to analyses from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, down slightly from November 2025's 16.8% overall average amid ongoing negotiations and exemptions. Wikipedia's detailed timeline on tariffs in the second Trump administration notes that after a tense October 2025 standoff—with threats of 100% additional tariffs over rare earth export controls—a deal with Xi Jinping cut the fentanyl tariff component from 20% to 10%, bringing many Chinese import rates to a 30% baseline, or lower for select goods.

Key headlines this week spotlight Trump's aggressive stance. Table Media reports Trump threatening up to 100% punitive tariffs on Canadian goods if Ottawa inks a trade deal with China, warning, "We don't want China to take over Canada," escalating North American frictions as of February 1, 2026. The Trade Compliance Resource Hub's Trump 2.0 tariff tracker, updated January 27, highlights new Section 232 measures like a 25% duty on advanced computing chips and derivatives effective January 15, 2026, with carve-outs for US R&D, plus 100% tariffs delayed until November 2026 on Chinese-origin ship-to-shore cranes and maritime equipment.

De minimis exemptions for low-value Chinese packages remain closed via Executive Orders 14256 and 14257, hitting e-commerce hard with duties up to 90% or $200 per item based on tariff tiers. China Daily warns these hikes, pushing average rates toward 28%, could sow economic chaos, while Ship4WD notes China's suspension of 24% retaliatory tariffs on some US goods through November 2026, retaining a 10% levy in a fragile truce. Exemptions abound—half of US imports now dodge IEEPA tariffs, including agriculture like coffee and beef—but strategic sectors like EVs face up to 100% under Section 301.

Listeners, as Trump plays catch-up in this techno-economic trade war per the East Asia Forum, stay vigilant—these shifts reshape global supply chains.

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