In a sudden reversal of his aggressive tariff policies, U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to suspend most of the sweeping tariffs imposed on a majority of nations for 90 days, while maintaining heightened tariffs on China. This shift comes after an escalation in the ongoing trade war with China, where Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 125% following China’s retaliatory move, imposing 84% tariffs on all U.S. goods.

The White House issued a strong message, warning global nations, "Do not retaliate and you will be rewarded," signaling that countries refraining from countermeasures will benefit from lower tariffs during the 90-day period. "More than 75 countries" have expressed interest in trade talks with the U.S. government, Trump said on Truth Social, confirming the temporary reduction of reciprocal tariffs to 10% for the next three months.

The timing of this announcement has led many to speculate that Trump aims to narrow the trade conflict to a direct confrontation with China, reducing the broader global impact of his tariff strategy. The latest U.S. tariff hikes on 60 countries, including a steep 104% increase on Chinese imports, had already stirred international tensions.

In retaliation to these tariff hikes, China has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), accusing the U.S. of violating international trade rules. China's Ministry of Commerce issued a statement, denouncing the additional levies as "serious violations of WTO rules."