White House's 245% tariff figure for some Chinese products causes confusion

Amid a tense trade war with China, a White House statement that some Chinese goods face 245% tariffs generated confusion in Beijing. 

Was it another escalation? No. Trump's new tariffs on China still stand at 145%.

But the White House quickly tried to clear things up, saying the 245% figure that they put into the April 15 document - outlining the context for a new executive order from President Donald Trump - represents all previous and new tariffs on some Chinese goods dating to the Biden and first Trump administrations.

Asked for comment on the data from the White House, a Chinese official responded on April 16 that it was up to U.S. officials to provide answers on how they got to 245%.

"You can take this number to the U.S. side for an answer," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said during a news conference, according to Chinese state media.

The U.S. already imposed large tariffs on some Chinese products of up to 100% before Trump started announcing new tariffs this year. Add the existing levies to the 145% in new tariffs Trump put on Chinese goods and some are facing 245% tariffs, the White House says.

Electric vehicles and syringes are two products that already faced 100% tariffs from the Biden administration - before Trump started putting new tariffs on Chinese goods this year - and which now are on the receiving end of the 245% tariffs, the Trump White House said. The U.S. had already levied tariffs between 7.5% and 100% on some Chinese goods before Trump took office this year.

Trump imposed a series of new tariffs on Chinese goods this year that now stand at 125%, and a 20% tariff aimed at pushing the country to crackdown on fentanyl

Trump said on April 15 that it's up to China to strike a deal to end the trade war.

“The ball is in China's court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don't have to make a deal with them," Trump said in comments relayed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

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In a statement after this story's initial publication, the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., pointed to its Ministry of Commerce declaring that the country has "taken note that cumulative tariffs under various pretexts on certain Chinese exports to the United States have reached as high as 245%."

"This highlights the extent to which the U.S. has increasingly weaponized tariffs, to the point of losing rationality," the statement continues.

China has been responding to U.S. tariffs in a tit-for-tat escalation, raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%.

The Ministry of Commerce statement threatens more tariffs if the U.S. continues to escalate.

"As for this kind of numbers game, we see no need to respond," the statement said. "However, if the U.S. insists on taking actions that harm China’s interests, we will take firm countermeasures as necessary.”