Trump’s Unpredictability Keeps Beijing Off Balance: Analysts
8th November 2025
Since day one in office, President Donald Trump has taken Beijing on a roller coaster ride of tariffs and export controls. For a regime that is already struggling with a stagnant economy and an international market increasingly wary of Chinese dumping, Trump’s actions have added an extra layer of uncertainty.
They say that like it was a bad thing.
Both sides went through multiple rounds of escalation and de-escalation. Last month, they entered a tentative one-year truce.
Tariff levels are down—overall about 47 percent on Chinese goods and 33 percent on U.S. goods. China will pause its extensive rare earth export control, curb the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the United States, and will also buy soybeans from American farmers. In return, the United States will suspend its port fees on Chinese ships and the 50 percent rule—barring exports to any companies owned 50 percent or more by entities on the restricted list.