U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has signaled that China must take concrete action to avoid the imposition of sweeping 100% tariffs on Chinese exports. In an interview this week, Greer made it clear that unless Beijing rolls back its recent export restrictions on critical minerals, the United States will escalate its trade response—potentially as soon as November 1.
Greer criticized China’s justifications for the curbs, calling them inconsistent and lacking transparency. He noted that Beijing has alternated between citing national security concerns and retaliatory motives, a pattern the U.S. views as unacceptable given the global reliance on these high-tech supply chain inputs. Currently, the U.S. maintains average tariffs of about 55% on Chinese imports, a level Greer described as “a good status quo” that helps protect American economic interests. However, if no agreement or rollback is reached by November 10, the tariff rates could rise sharply—to 145% on U.S. imports from China and 125% on U.S. exports to China—dramatically curtailing trade between the two largest economies.
As tensions rise, markets and global stakeholders are bracing for potential disruptions. The outcome in the coming weeks could shape the trajectory of U.S.-China trade relations heading into 2026.
