Sopuruchi Onwuka

Global markets surged Tuesday after former President Donald Trump announced a surprise 90-day pause on new tariffs for more than 75 countries currently negotiating trade terms with the U.S.

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In a post on Truth Social, Trump said:

“I have authorized a 90-day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately,”
referring to nations that have not retaliated against U.S. trade actions.

The unexpected move triggered an immediate market rally, with major indexes rebounding over 5% following the announcement.

While dialing back tariffs for many countries, Trump sharpened his focus on China, imposing a 120% tariff on Chinese imports after Beijing announced steep retaliatory measures. China had declared it would raise tariffs on U.S. goods to 84%, up from a previously announced 34%, starting Thursday.

The U-turn marks a major shift in Trump’s aggressive trade posture, which had sparked global uncertainty and drawn skepticism from economists and media alike.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on critics, saying the media had missed “the art of the deal” and failed to grasp the broader strategy behind Trump’s tariffs policy.

Trump’s recalibration appears aimed at cooling tensions with U.S. allies while doubling down on his hardline stance against Beijing, a centerpiece of his economic platform.

The administration has not released a list of the 75 countries included in the tariff pause. Analysts expect further details to emerge as negotiations continue over the next three months.