It was supposed to be “reciprocal.” Levelling the global playing field, President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs against more than 70 nations last week with his trademark chest-thumping. But just as markets began their freefall and trading partners panicked, Trump suddenly reversed course—except when it came to one country: China. The tariffs were paused. But not for Beijing. Trump’s 90-day “pause” on what the administration dubbed “Liberation Day” tariffs looks less like a strategic rethink and more like a personal vendetta. While the rest of the world gets a temporary reprieve, China remains firmly in Trump’s crosshairs, now facing a staggering 125% tariff rate—up from an already brutal 104%. If this is reciprocal trade policy, then a cannonball is just a water balloon. The administration claims the sudden shift was due to “overwhelming” global interest in trade talks. Over 75 countries reportedly reached out in the days following Trump’s tariff rollout—an international chorus of “please don’t tank our economies.” That was enough to convince Trump to dial it back. On everyone else. But not China. Why the exception? If we’re being honest, it’s never really been about fair trade. Trump’s approach to China isn’t economic policy—it’s economic vengeance. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, which allegedly originated from a Wuhan lab, Trump has made China the bogeyman for America’s suffering. Now, he’s using tariffs as retribution masked in the language of reciprocity. Even Trump’s own language betrays this. “China has been ripping off the U.S.A. for years,” he declared, justifying the tariff hike. Fair enough. But it wasn’t long ago he was touting tariffs as a “game-changer” for American manufacturing—until markets tanked and recession alarms began ringing.
Let’s talk numbers: In the four days after Trump dropped his tariff bomb, the S&P 500 shed more than $5.83 trillion in market value, nosediving 19% from its peak. The panic was so severe that Wednesday’s announcement of the pause sent markets soaring—the S&P 500 jumped 9.53%, and the Dow added nearly 3,000 points, its best day since 2008. Trump, of course, celebrated the rebound. “Up 2,500 points. Nobody has ever heard of it,” he crowed, conveniently ignoring the fact that this “historic” recovery only followed a cliff dive of his own making. The White House insists the tariffs “worked,” arguing they’ve driven countries to the negotiating table. What they haven’t done, notably, is produce a single new deal—despite Trump’s assurance that trade partners would fold like bad poker hands. The tariffs weren’t just economic instruments; they were theatre. Meanwhile, China isn’t exactly trembling. On the same day Trump doubled down, Beijing fired back, raising its own tariffs on U.S. goods from 34% to 84%. Europe, too, is in retaliation mode. The EU is keeping its 25% tariffs on American exports firmly in place. The global economy, it seems, is in a Mexican standoff—only with real bullets. Then, there’s the selective application. The tariff pause doesn’t cover aluminum, steel, autos, or forthcoming pharmaceutical levies. Mexico and Canada are still staring down 25% duties. If the plan was clarity, coherence, and consistency—this isn’t it. And as always, Trump’s messaging turned into a sideshow. “They were getting yippy,” he said of panicked markets and businesses, brushing off the chaos. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed the media for “missing the Art of the Deal,” as though the economic impact of arbitrary tariffs could be explained by ghostwritten ’80s self-help books. At best, this is trade whack-a-mole. At worst, it’s foreign policy by grudge. So, let’s drop the preteens: This isn’t about fairness; it’s about fury. Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs have become a geopolitical tantrum, with China cast as the villain in his ongoing MAGA narrative. For the rest of the world, it’s business as usual—for now. But with this president, trade policy is just another reality-show twist waiting to happen.