Timeline: All the twists and turns in the US-China trade war

By CNN Newsource

Published April 12, 2025 1:30 am

By Lou Robinson, Rosa de Acosta, Elisabeth Buchwald and Soph Warnes, CNN

(CNN) — The trade war between China and the United States is rapidly evolving after a massive tit-for-tat on tariffs between the world’s two biggest economies.

Until recently, President Donald Trump did not appear to have much of an appetite for negotiating with China after slapping a 145% baseline tariff on most goods coming from there. Beijing responded by tariffing American goods at a minimum 125% rate.

Earlier this week, however, Trump said Chinese tariffs could “come down substantially.” He also said his administration is in “active” discussions with Chinese government officials on trade. Beijing has denied that though and has publicly conveyed its stance hasn’t changed.

Where this will end is anyone’s guess.

So, how did we get here? Keep scrolling for a recap of the dizzying back-and-forth between the US and China.

Photo credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images and Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images