US President Donald Trump has announced an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports, bringing the total tariff rate to 104%. The new tariffs are set to take effect on April 9, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said.

According to her, the decision to increase tariffs is due to China's refusal to eliminate its own tariffs, which led to an increase in Beijing's tariff rate from 54% to 104%. These measures are part of a trade conflict between the world's two largest economies.

Levitt also emphasized that, according to Trump, China is willing to negotiate on the terms of cooperation, but is facing difficulties in defining a strategy.

In response to these actions, the spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, stated that China does not seek conflicts, but is ready to defend its interests in case of provocations.

According to CNN, the introduction of significant customs restrictions could seriously undermine the economic stability of the United States, since China is one of the main suppliers of goods to this country. As a result, the costs of American importers of goods from China will increase, which could lead to an increase in prices for a wide range of goods, from electronics to household goods.

US stock markets reacted negatively to the news of the introduction of tariffs, noting a sharp decline after morning growth. The Dow Jones index fell by 0.84%, the S&P 500 – by 1.57%, the Nasdaq – by 2.15%.

Crypto market capitalization also suffered losses, falling 2.77% to $2.44 trillion, while Bitcoin’s value fell 2.44% to $77,000.

WTI crude oil prices fell 4.12% to $58.2 per barrel, while Brent crude fell 4.16% to $61.54, the lowest in four years.

The move will be a major test of US-China trade relations and could have a significant impact on the global economy in the coming months.