Trump hits China with 100% tariff after China imposes rare earths restrictions

President Donald Trump announced Oct. 10 the US would impose a 100% tariff on Chinese products one day after the Chinese government said it would restrict access to rare earths.

Trump said in a Truth Social post the tariff will take effect on Nov. 1, or "sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China."

He added the US would impose export controls on critical software. Trump later told reporters there may be "a lot more" on the table beyond software that could face export controls.

Trump pointed to China taking "an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade" and referenced a letter indicating the Chinese government would impose "large-scale export controls on virtually every product they make" starting Nov. 1.

He described China's actions as shocking and "out of the blue."

"They came up with this whole import-export concept and nobody knew anything about it," he told reporters.

Trump's announcement suggests the 100% tariff will be stacked on top of other tariffs China currently faces, including 50% on steel, aluminum and copper and a 20% tariff imposed earlier this year.

China also faces a 30% country-specific tariff after Trump signed an executive order in August delaying higher rates for 90 days. Trump has previously exempted metals from country-specific tariffs, but did not indicate any exemptions for the 100% tariff on China.

"It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is history," he said.

China, the world's leading rare earths supplier, announced the expansion of restrictions on rare earth exports on Oct. 9.

Rare earth mine production in China accounted for around 69% of the world's total in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey.

The US imports critical minerals as well as antimony, gallium, tungsten and other metals from China.