Washington, 10 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US tariffs on Chinese imports have been raised to 145% not 125% as the White House had previously announced, a member of the US administration said on Thursday, as the war of words between Washington and Beijing over tariffs grinds on.

The earlier 125% figure did not include the previously announced 20% tariff aimed at curbing imports of the deadly drug fentanyl, that US President Donald Trump had announced earlier, the administration explained.

The Trump administration earlier said that it has received trade negotiation offers from more than 15 countries, following President Donald Trump's announcement on Wednesday that it would pause most of its worldwide tariffs for 90 days.

This does not mean that an agreement has been reached, but it does mean that representatives of various countries are calling and putting clear offers on the table, Trump's Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, told Fox News.

No 'off the shelf' solutions

Hassett repeatedly stated that there will be no off-the-shelf solutions, but that negotiations are aimed at achieving tailored results.

According to earlier statements from the administration, representatives from more than 75 countries had already called the White House to express their willingness to engage in talks.

And while the US president paused tariffs on most US major trading partners, he did not do so for China.

Trump said he had been waiting in vain for a call from China as of Wednesday.

Hassett also stated in the interview that a meeting with senior staff was planned, after which they intended to present the president with a list of priorities that experts believe Trump should set.

China to cut US film imports

Meanwhile China said it plans to "moderately reduce" the number of US films shown in the country in an unusual retaliation to Washington's latest tariff hikes.

The "unlawful" imposition of tariffs by the US government on China will "inevitably further reduce the popularity of US films among domestic audiences," state broadcaster China Central Television CCTV quoted a spokesman for the Beijing film regulatory authority as saying on Thursday.

Instead, more films from around the world will be shown, he said.

China already has a quota system for foreign films, which must also pass Chinese censorship regulations before they can be broadcast.

China's retaliatory tariffs of 84% on US imports came into force on Thursday, prompting US President Donald Trump to again raise tariffs on Chinese imports to the United States to 125%, which is on top of the 20% tariff due to the fentanyl issue.

Trump notes 'lack of respect' from Beijing

Trump justified the move by saying China showed a "lack of respect" for world markets.

Beijing had previously vowed to "fight to the end" in the tariff dispute and accused the US of extortion, but China has not responded to the latest tariff hike with further tariff increases.

As tensions rise with the US, China is reaching out to other partners.

Beijing on the line with Brussels

On Tuesday, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao had a phone call with EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to discuss issues including enhancing China-EU economic ties.

According to a Chinese statement, Wang criticized the US tariff strategy as harmful to global trade and urged cooperation to uphold the rules-based multilateral system. It added that China and the EU agreed to start talks on market access and improving the business environment for companies.

China remains one of the EU's most important trading partners. In 2024, it was the bloc's third-largest export destination and its top source of imports.

However, the EU continues to run a significant trade deficit with China, which last year stood at around €300 billion ($329 billion).

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