Here is a timeline of Trump's trade war with China in 2025

US President Donald Trump has targeted top economic rival China with a cascade of tariffs on imports worth billions of dollars as he tries to narrow a trade deficit, bring home lost manufacturing and cripple the fentanyl trade.

Here are key events this year in the US-China trade war, in reverse chronological order:

February 2025

• February 1 – Trump imposes punitive duties on China, Mexico and Canada
  Trump imposes 10% punitive duty on goods from China along with 25% on Mexico and Canada, to press for curbs on fentanyl and illegal immigrants flowing into the United States.

• February 4 – China responds with measures targeting US businesses
  China responds with measures targeting US businesses, as well as 15% levies on US coal and LNG and 10% for crude oil and some autos from February 10. It curbs exports of five metals key to defence and clean energy.

March 2025

• March 3 – US doubles fentanyl-related tariffs
  The United States doubles to 20% fentanyl-related tariffs on all Chinese imports from March 4.

• March 4 – China hits back with retaliatory levies
  China hits back with retaliatory levies of 10% to 15% on US agriculture, hitting $21 billion in exports, clamping export and investment curbs on 25 US firms, as well as a ban targeting medical equipment maker Illumina.

April 2025

• April 2 – Trump unveils "Liberation Day" tariffs
  Trump unveils sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs of a baseline 10% on all imports and even higher duties on goods from some countries, with a levy of 34% on China, from April 9.
  The United States scraps duty-free access from May 2 for low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong.

• April 4 – China sets retaliatory tariffs of 34%
  China sets retaliatory tariffs of 34% for all US imports from April 10 and export curbs on some rare earths, as well as limits on about 30 US bodies in defence-related fields.

• April 8 – US raises tariffs to 84% on all Chinese imports
  United States raises tariffs to 84% on all Chinese imports, from 34%.

• April 9 – China matches US levies and adds controls
  China matches levies at 84% on US imports, hits 12 US companies with controls barring exports of dual-use items, and designates six more as "unreliable entities".
  The United States further hikes tariffs to 125% on Chinese imports, from 84%. China warns citizens against US travel.

• April 10 – China threatens curbs on Hollywood imports
  China threatens immediate curbs on imports of Hollywood films.

• April 11 – China raises levies and signals disregard for US strategy
  China also raises levies to 125% on US imports, calls Trump's tariff strategy "a joke" and signals it will ignore any further US "numbers game with tariffs".

• April 15 – Nvidia says US officials told it China sales need export licence
  Chipmaker Nvidia says US officials told it China sales of the H20 chip would need an export licence.

May 2025

• May 10-12 – First round of trade talks in Geneva
  First round of trade talks in Geneva agrees to 90-day pause on tariffs, cutting to 30% US tariffs on Chinese goods from 145%, while China drops tariffs to 10% from 125%. China to also scrap non-tariff measures adopted since April 2.

• May 28-29 – US vows to revoke visas of Chinese students
  United States vows to start "aggressively" revoking visas of Chinese students, while ordering some companies to stop shipping some goods to China.

• May 31 – Trump says China violated Geneva deal
  Trump says China violated Geneva deal to mutually roll back tariffs and ease curbs on critical minerals exports, but China rejects this, accusing the United States of "discriminatory restrictive" curbs instead.

June 2025

• June 5 – Xi and Trump hold telephone call
  Xi and Trump hold an hour-long telephone call.

• June 9-12 – Framework deal reached in London talks
  Framework deal reached in London round of talks, while some Chinese rare earths magnet producers begin to receive export licences. Trump says a trade truce is back on track.

• June 27 – Both sides resolve issues on rare earth minerals
  Bessent says both sides resolve issues on rare earth minerals and magnets destined for the United States.

July 2025

• July 28-29 – Officials agree to seek extension of 90-day truce
  US and Chinese officials agree to seek extension of 90-day tariff truce after two days of talks in Stockholm they call constructive, though they bring no major breakthroughs.

August 2025

• August 8 – US reverses April ban on Nvidia licences
  United States reverses April ban to start issuing Nvidia licences for exports of advanced AI H20 chips to China, as part of talks on rare earths.

• August 10 – Trump urges China to quadruple soybean purchases
  With trade truce set to expire on August 12, Trump urges China to quadruple US soybean purchases.

• August 11 – Both nations extend tariff truce
  Both nations extend tariff truce for further 90 days.

September 2025

• September 14 – Fourth round of talks in Madrid
  Fourth round of talks, in Madrid, led by Bessent and China's He discuss trade and TikTok divestiture deadline of September 17.

• September 15 – Both sides clinch framework deal on TikTok
  Both sides clinch framework deal to switch TikTok to US-controlled ownership as US vows to refrain from more tariffs on Chinese goods over Russian oil imports unless European levies come first.

• September 17 – China to review TikTok technology exports
  China says it will review TikTok's technology exports and intellectual property licensing.

• September 19 – Trump and Xi hold telephone call
  Trump and Xi hold telephone call, during which Trump says they made progress on a TikTok pact and agreed to meet face-to-face to discuss trade, illicit drugs and Ukraine war. China welcomes commercial talks on TikTok.

• September 21 – Visiting US lawmakers urge increased engagement
  Visiting US lawmakers tell Premier Li Qiang that China and the United States need to step up engagement.

• September 24 – Bessent says chemicals, aircraft engines and parts offer leverage
  Bessent says chemicals, aircraft engines and parts offer key US leverage in China talks.

• September 30 – Greer says tariffs on Chinese imports are a "good" status quo
  Greer says tariffs of about 55% on Chinese imports are a "good" status quo, but the United States would like freer trade increase.

October 2025

• October 1 – Soybeans to be major topic for Xi meet, Trump says
  Soybeans will be major topic for Xi meet, Trump says, calling China's sharply reduced US purchases of the oilseed a negotiation tactic.

• October 9 – China widens export controls on rare earths
  China widens export controls on rare earths from November 8, to cover five more medium to heavy elements and beefs up scrutiny of semiconductor users, tightening its grip and dominance on critical minerals.
  United States plans to ban Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on US routes, as being disadvantageous to US carriers.

• October 10 – Trump unveils additional levies and export controls
  Trump unveils additional levies of 100% on imports from China, and new export controls on "any and all critical software", from November 1, while threatening export controls on Boeing plane parts in response to China's limits on rare earth exports.
  There is no reason to meet Xi, Trump says, but does not cancel plans.
  China launches antitrust investigation of US chip maker Qualcomm over purchase of Israeli chip designer Autotalks.
  China targets US-linked vessels with port fees from October 14, in response to similar US fees on China-linked ships.

• October 12-13 – China calls new US tariffs hypocritical
  China calls new US tariffs hypocritical, but Bessent says plans for Trump-Xi meet remain on track.

• October 14 – Both nations begin collecting additional port fees
  Both nations begin collecting additional port fees from each others' vessels, but China exempts ships it built. It sanctions five US-linked units of Hanwha Ocean as threats to its security and sovereignty.

• October 15-16 – Greer and Bessent chide China's rare earth export controls
  Greer and Bessent chide China's expanded rare earth export controls as threat to global supply chains. Bessent vows to seek tighter control of strategic sectors to counter China.
  Apple CEO Tim Cook pledges China investment boost.

• October 17 – US state department calls Chinese sanctions "coercion"
  US State Department calls Chinese sanctions on South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean "coercion", undermining ties between Washington and Seoul.

• October 25-26 – Malaysia talks yield trade deal framework
  Malaysia talks yield trade deal framework for both nations' leaders to decide on after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and top trade negotiator Li Chenggang.

• October 30 – US and China strike new trade truce
  United States and China strike new trade truce after talks in South Korea between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump agrees to trim tariffs in exchange for Beijing cracking down on illicit fentanyl trade, resuming US soybean purchases and pausing controls on exports of rare earths.
  Beijing says United States also pledged a year's delay in plan to bar Chinese firms from its technology.

November 2025

• November 5 – Beijing suspends retaliatory tariffs on US imports
  Beijing suspends retaliatory tariffs on US imports from November 10, including farm goods duties of up to 15%, but keeps levies of 10% countering Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs.
  Imports of US soybeans still face a tariff of 13%, but China will drop curbs on some US optical fibre imports, and ease measures on US entities.