Trump Abruptly Ends National Emergency – Leaves His Enemies In Disbelief
In a significant move poised to reshape U.S.-China economic relations, the White House on Sunday rolled out details of a sweeping trade agreement with China, the world's second-largest economy. The development comes as part of President Donald J. Trump’s steadfast commitment to rebalancing trade and restoring American manufacturing might through strategic tariff enforcement.
“Today, on the heels of the brand-new deal with the United Kingdom, President Donald J. Trump reached an agreement with China to reduce China’s tariffs and eliminate retaliation, retain a U.S. baseline tariff on China, and set a path for future discussions to open market access for American exports,” declared a White House fact sheet following two intense days of talks in Geneva, Switzerland.
This agreement reflects the Trump administration’s long-held position that China’s exploitative trade behavior has hollowed out America’s industrial base. The fact sheet was unequivocal: “For too long, unfair trade practices and America’s massive trade deficit with China have fueled the offshoring of American jobs and the decline of our manufacturing sector. In reaching an agreement, the United States and China will each lower tariffs by 115% while retaining an additional 10% tariff. Other U.S. measures will remain in place.”
The policy changes are slated to take effect on Wednesday, May 14, and will initially last 90 days. The markets responded positively to the announcement, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring 1,000 points at Monday’s open—yet another sign of growing investor confidence under President Trump’s leadership.
“China will remove the retaliatory tariffs it announced since April 4, 2025, and will also suspend or remove the non-tariff countermeasures taken against the United States since April 2, 2025,” the statement continued. “China will also suspend its initial 34% tariff on the United States, it announced on April 4, 2025, for 90 days, but will retain a 10% tariff during the period of the pause.”
On the U.S. side, according to the fact sheet, “The United States will remove the additional tariffs it imposed on China on April 8 and April 9, 2025, but will retain all duties imposed on China prior to April 2, 2025, including Section 301 tariffs, Section 232 tariffs, tariffs imposed in response to the fentanyl national emergency invoked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and Most Favored Nation tariffs.” The U.S. will also suspend its 34% reciprocal tariff during this temporary period.
Both Washington and Beijing have agreed to revisit negotiations after the 90-day timeframe with the aim of striking a durable, fair, and enforceable agreement.
Crucially, the accord also targets the fentanyl crisis—an epidemic that previous administrations failed to confront effectively. The Trump administration has taken a firmer approach, emphasizing China's culpability in supplying chemical ingredients to Mexican cartels that funnel the lethal drug into American communities.
“These discussions may be conducted alternately in China and the United States, or a third country upon agreement of the Parties. As required, the two sides may conduct working-level consultations on relevant economic and trade issues,” stated a joint release from Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Speaking from Geneva, Greer underscored the uniquely adversarial stance taken by Beijing: “China was assigned a reciprocal tariff rate of 34%. China was the only country that chose to implement retaliation against the United States for this reciprocal tariff. All other countries withheld and decided that they wanted to negotiate with the United States or simply not retaliate.”
Greer added, “The president increased our tariff rates to offset Chinese retaliation. And as you know, this escalated to a point where both sides had added 125% tariffs.”
As tensions de-escalate and diplomatic progress continues, President Trump is also set to embark on a critical diplomatic mission to the Middle East during his 17th week back in office—further proof of this administration’s proactive and visionary foreign policy.
“President Trump will return to [the Middle East to] re-emphasize his continued vision for a proud, prosperous and successful Middle East where the United States and Middle Eastern nations are in cooperative relationships and where extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges,” stated White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday.
“This trip ultimately highlights how we stand on the brink of the golden age for both America and the Middle East, united by a shared vision of stability, opportunity and mutual respect, the president greatly looks forward to visiting with our brave men and women in uniform at our U.S. air base in Qatar throughout this trip.”
With bold leadership and a renewed sense of American purpose, President Trump continues to deliver on his promise to put America First—on trade, on foreign policy, and on protecting the future of American workers and families.