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What Trump’s 90-Day Tariff Pause Did—and What It Meant for China

The April 2025 tariff pause suspended certain higher rates for listed trading partners, but kept a 10% reciprocal tariff in place and excluded China, whose rate rose to 125%.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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On April 9, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on certain country-specific reciprocal tariffs for listed U.S. trading partners—but not China. The legal order suspended those higher rates from April 10 through July 9, 2025, while keeping an additional 10% rate in place for the affected partners. For China, the order instead raised the applicable reciprocal tariff rate to 125% starting April 10.

What did the April 9 tariff pause cover?

The April 9 executive order suspended the country-specific reciprocal rates established under the April 2 order for trading partners listed in its Annex I, with China excluded. The suspension ran from 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 10 until 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 9, 2025. During that period, the additional 10% reciprocal rate remained applicable, subject to the original order’s exceptions. April 9 executive order

So “pause” meant a temporary suspension of specified higher country-specific rates—not a removal of every tariff. The April 2 order’s exceptions covered categories including certain steel and aluminum, autos and auto parts already subject to Section 232 measures, copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber, bullion, energy, and certain minerals. Other duties could also continue to apply. April 2 executive order White House fact sheet

How did the order treat China?

China was excluded from the 90-day suspension for Annex I partners. Instead, the April 9 order amended China’s applicable reciprocal rate to 125%, effective April 10, 2025. That was the April action; it should not be confused with the separate U.S.–China agreement announced in May. April 9 executive order

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What changed in the later U.S.–China agreement?

In May 2025, the United States and China agreed to suspend some of their heightened tariffs for 90 days. The White House said the United States would remove the additional tariffs imposed on China on April 8 and 9 and suspend the 34% reciprocal tariff imposed on April 2, while keeping a 10% tariff during the temporary pause. It also said pre-April 2 duties—including Section 301, Section 232, fentanyl-related, and Most Favored Nation duties—would remain. White House statement on the U.S.–China agreement

The Congressional Research Service timeline records a reduction in the China rate from 125% to 10% for a 90-day period in May, followed by an August extension of that temporary reduction through November 10, 2025. Reuters also reported the August extension and China’s parallel pause. Those later developments were separate from the April 9 suspension for other listed partners. Congressional Research Service timeline Reuters report on the extension

Why did the administration announce the pause?

The administration’s stated rationale was that more than 75 trading partners had contacted U.S. officials to discuss trade issues, while China had retaliated. Trump’s April 9 statement described the contacts as involving negotiations over trade barriers, tariffs, currency manipulation, and nonmonetary tariffs. The April 2 order had framed the broader policy around U.S. goods trade deficits and what the administration characterized as non-reciprocal trade arrangements. These are the administration’s stated explanations, not independent findings about the reasons for the decision. April 2 executive order Trump’s April 9 statement

“I have authorized a 90-day pause and a substantially lowered reciprocal tariff during this period of 10 percent, also effective immediately.”

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Trump’s statement used “effective immediately,” but the executive order provides the legal dates and scope: the suspension of specified country-specific rates began at 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 10 and ended at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 9. April 9 executive order Statement transcript

What did markets do after the announcement?

The Associated Press reported that the S&P 500 rose 9.5% after the April 9 announcement. That figure describes the reported market move; it does not establish that the tariff announcement alone caused it. Associated Press coverage

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Were those tariff rates still in force in 2026?

The sources cited here document the April 2025 order and later developments through 2025; they do not establish which tariff rates or restrictions were in force on October 8, 2026. The 2025 dates and rates above are historical and should not be treated as a current tariff schedule.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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