As expected, the previous China- US tarrif situation was unsustainable, both countries need each other in a way. Chinese exports to the US make up between 15-20% of total exports (GDP is misleading), and there is no replacing the US consumer market, other markets are already oversaturated with Chinese exports, and quite simply are not as wealthy as the US. The US needs Chinese exports to keep it's economy running, they need consumers to keep buying stuff constantly to make the line go up, and China is the best source of these consumer goods, Chinese manufacturing can't be replaced by any other country at this time.
this post was submitted on 12 May 2025
96 points (100.0% liked)
news
24023 readers
710 users here now
Welcome to c/news! Please read the Hexbear Code of Conduct and remember... we're all comrades here.
Rules:
-- PLEASE KEEP POST TITLES INFORMATIVE --
-- Overly editorialized titles, particularly if they link to opinion pieces, may get your post removed. --
-- All posts must include a link to their source. Screenshots are fine IF you include the link in the post body. --
-- If you are citing a twitter post as news please include not just the twitter.com in your links but also nitter.net (or another Nitter instance). There is also a Firefox extension that can redirect Twitter links to a Nitter instance: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/libredirect/ or archive them as you would any other reactionary source using e.g. https://archive.today/ . Twitter screenshots still need to be sourced or they will be removed --
-- Mass tagging comm moderators across multiple posts like a broken markov chain bot will result in a comm ban--
-- Repeated consecutive posting of reactionary sources, fake news, misleading / outdated news, false alarms over ghoul deaths, and/or shitposts will result in a comm ban.--
-- Neglecting to use content warnings or NSFW when dealing with disturbing content will be removed until in compliance. Users who are consecutively reported due to failing to use content warnings or NSFW tags when commenting on or posting disturbing content will result in the user being banned. --
-- Using April 1st as an excuse to post fake headlines, like the resurrection of Kissinger while he is still fortunately dead, will result in the poster being thrown in the gamer gulag and be sentenced to play and beat trashy mobile games like 'Raid: Shadow Legends' in order to be rehabilitated back into general society. --
founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
there is no replacing the US consumer market, other markets are already oversaturated with Chinese exports, and quite simply are not as wealthy as the US
This is not true. The tariff war is a prime opportunity for China to develop its own "internal circulation", aka domestic consumer base (the CPC's own terminology and stated goal) and to increase consumption/development in the global south. The US "consumer base" and "wealth" for imports is really just the American heavenly tribute that it extracts from the world. The US gets commodities on debt that it has no intention of ever paying back, while the rest of the world is forced to trade US debt with each other if they want to do business.
The loosening of tariffs is a missed opportunity. The Chinese government could have continued to maintain pressure on the US. And while it's true that this would have caused damage to export oriented businesses in China, China has a planned economy and certainly could print money to support these export oriented businesses. It could bouy its export industries by providing loans in Yuan to developing countries, so they can purchase Chinese products. The latter policy would pair well with China's earlier decision to remove all tariffs on low-income countries (a much welcome move). Both China and the global south could then trade goods with each other using Yuan or alternative currencies.
The only good part about this move is that it gives Chinese policy makers more time to consider consider their options and take things slowly. However, this time is fundamentally limited, as the American imperialists are becoming increasingly impatient and belligerent.
The only good part about this move is that it gives Chinese policy makers more time to consider consider their options and take things slowly
It is clear there is no consideration in China beyond "line go up" when it comes to their capitalism action plan. This is the fundamental issue that the USSR had to contend with in the 20s-40s, which ultimately planted the seed for fascism, reaction, and the eventual dissolution of the USSR.
It is clear there is no consideration in China beyond "line go up" when it comes to their capitalism action plan.
Certain factions in the CPC have this view, but there was an ideological struggle in the CPC a little bit before Xi became president precisely around this issue, and Xi's victorious faction has made significant efforts in curbing liberalism. So this isn't an accurate reading of the modern CPC.
This is the fundamental issue that the USSR had to contend with in the 20s-40
I think it's kinda crazy to accuse the Stalin administration of being concerned solely with enacting some "capitalism action plan". And while the USSR during this time was certainly very focused on increasing economic growth as rapidly as possible, this was absolutely necessary to ensure the survival of the Russian revolution (and the Russian people). The real seed of reaction was sown by Krushchev and the failure of the CPSU during that era of filling the loss of high quality and young party cadres in the aftermath of WW2.
Ok but 30% is still a lot. It's not the completely comical number it was before but 30% increases on all imports from China is still gonna cause a lot of businesses to go under and prices to go up.
There was already pretty large tarrifs on China from Biden
If China was able to bait and switch them and get the existing under Biden 100% tarrif on EVs down to 30% that's a win. Same with solar panels.
Edit: Only new tarrifs are paused :(
This tarrif reduction is only to do with tarrifs from early April 2025 onwards, so the EV tarrifs are unchanged for now:
both parties had committed to a 90-day suspension of most of the levies imposed since early April.
Aww, I thought they tricked em
Yo that is actually sweet. I want a chinese ev so bad.
Domestic? Sure. US export model? Ehhhh
Reliable chinese branded EV. Not whatever bezos is gonna do. Down to learn enough mandarin to read safety labels and shit.
Stock market today gonna be like 
Why did China put lower tariffs than the US? Seems like an L, doesn't seem like they needed to do this, what is China even buying from the US?
In case y'all missed it, the (real) Xiaohongshu wrote a very lengthy but well detailed explanation about why it was in China's interest to reduce tariffs quickly:
My brain is too fried for xioshonghu's posts, but the US was a big part of their exports. I'm not surprised that they wanted to renegotiate the with the US.
I guess it's a win for china, they've gone from absurdly high tariffs on their goods to just high tariffs.
I read that. To me it just sounds like we'll never see the end of the US Empire in our lifetimes 
That’s every xiaohongshu post, nothing matters until the PRC stop being libs
Yeah, by making themselves indispensable to the US economy they've prevented the US from outright attacking them (so far) but it also means the US economy is indispensable to China's, and they'll keep the US alive and prop it up for far longer than it needs to be.
It could still happen, the collapse will just be messier and triggered by climate change 
China will sell the USA the rope it uses to ~~hang itself~~ pull itself out of the hole
china now has too much rope making capacity and needs to find new rope markets or be forever dependent on selling rope to the usa to keep their own economy running
How long until the US signs on to the Belt and Road Initiative?
Just one more road bro it'll solve our sluggish domestic consumption and overproduction issues please bro just listen to me
Bessent said the temporary reductions would effectively reduce the level of U.S. tariffs still in place on Chinese goods to about 30%, while China was reducing its levies on American imports to 10%.
Why couldn't the US just destroy itself?! Don't make the rational move! JDPON DON I believed in you!
Nothing ever happens proved right once again
Kinda disagree on this. 30% is still a massive mark up that will torpedo a lot of businesses. But it’s also small enough that Trump will look like he caved to the Chinese. Real art of the deal galaxy brain move
that Trump will look like he caved to the Chinese.
Idk, his followers and the media infrastructure surrounding it will play it as a win. And it sort of is (they will likely go extra hard even more on war with China now as they more slowly decouple, especially with that Hegseth at the helm, who wants to nuke China personally in his "crusade").
Trump is talking about how he is getting China to “open up their markets” like he’s fucking Commodore Perry or something. I have no idea what that means, likely BS but who knows with him.
:richald-trixon:
Never doubt the Trump camp's ability to spin any news as a win
art of the deal 
And I'm sure Trump told everyone in his orbit to make just the right trades to take advantage of this - and when he brings the tariffs back he'll give them a heads up so they can make some more trades before the rest of us know. Then he'll do it all again.
This whole administration is just an insider trading scheme.
booooo why'd China cave
The agreement statement only lists 3 actions, split into 3 paragraphs. Action 1 says that the US will suspend some of Trump's executive order tariffs on China for 90 days. Action 2 says that China will suspend some tariffs on the US for 90 days. Action 3 says that China and US will set up a mechanism to have more discussions in the future.
30% is pretty close to the number that Trump started with.
The whole thing seems pretty pointless. Trump slowed shipping from China for over a month and the only thing accomplished is higher taxes on people who live in the US.
him and his buddies also made a boat load pumping and dumping the stock market so he accomplished at least two things
MAGA is no doubt lauding this as a brilliant 69D chess move