After 100% Tariff Warning, Trump Says US Wants To Help China, Not Hurt It: ‘Don’t Worry’

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the United States “wants to help China, not hurt it,” striking a conciliatory tone days after threatening an additional 100% tariff on Beijing.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the “highly respected” President Xi Jinping just had a bad moment and he doesn’t want to put his country into (economic) depression.

“Don’t worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesn’t want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!!”

His remarks came days after the US President accused Beijing of “extraordinarily aggressive” and “hostile” trade actions after China announced restrictions on exports of nearly all its products, particularly rare earth elements, to foreign entities and threatened to impose an additional 100% tariff on imports from China from next month.

In a post on social media, Trump said the US would also put export controls on critical software.

He had also threatened to pull out of a meeting with Jinping. He later said he had not cancelled it, but that he did not know “that we’re going to have it”.

The announcement triggered market volatility, with economists warning of potential disruptions to global supply chains and rising prices for electronics, clean energy products, and other goods.

Meanwhile, China called Trump’s new tariffs on Chinese goods hypocritical and accused the United States of “double standards” as it defended its curbs on exports of rare earth elements and equipment, while stopping short of imposing additional duties on US imports.

China’s Ministry of Commerce criticised the US over its tariff threat, saying, “Willful threats of high tariffs are not the right way to get along with China.” A spokesperson added, “Our position on the trade war is consistent. We do not want it, but we are not afraid of it.”

“If the United States insists on going the wrong way, China will surely take resolute measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests,” the statement added.

Rare earths have been a major sticking point in recent trade negotiations between the two superpowers. They are critical to manufacturing everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to military hardware and renewable energy technology.

The revised US tariffs will have a severe impact on supply chains worldwide, affecting markets across the US, Asia, and Europe. Companies reliant on Chinese inputs may face production delays and higher costs, while consumers could see increased prices on everyday products.