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China imposes 34% reciprocal tariffs on goods from US

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China said on Friday it will impose reciprocal 34% tariffs on all imports from the United States from April 10, making good on a promise to strike back after US President Donald Trump escalated a global trade war.

On Wednesday, Trump unveiled an additional 34% tariffs on all Chinese goods imported into the US, in a move poised to cause a major reset of relations and worsen trade tension between the world’s two largest economies.

“This practice of the US is not in line with international trade rules, seriously undermines China’s legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice,” China’s State Council Tariff Commission said in a statement announcing its retaliatory tariffs. 

Since returning to power in January, Trump had already levied two tranches of 10% additional duties on all Chinese imports, which the White House said was necessary to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl from the country to the US. That means Chinese goods arriving in the US would be effectively subject to 54% tariffs.

China’s retaliation against the latest round of US tariffs are more sweeping than its earlier reciprocal actions. Beijing had responded to those previous levies swiftly, but moderately, imposing retaliatory tariffs on targeted US imports including agricultural products and fuel, while taking action against certain American firms and ramping up export controls.

The 54% tariffs are higher than what many analysts had expected and could fundamentally reshape relations, and roughly half a trillion dollars in trade, between the two economies after decades of interdependence.

As part of the retaliatory measures announced Friday, when hundreds of millions of people in China celebrated a major public holiday, the country also added 11 American companies to its “unreliable entity list,” including drone manufacturers, and put export controls on 16 American companies to prohibit the export of Chinese dual-use items.

The Commerce Ministry announced anti-dumping investigations into imported medical CT X-ray tubes originating from the United States and India.

In addition, Beijing also unveiled export controls on seven types of rare-earth minerals to the US, including samarium, gadolinium and terbium.

The challenges are multifold for businesses with supply chains rooted in China, which are now left scrambling as they face not only the unexpectedly high US levies on Chinese imports, but also on other Asian countries due to Trump’s broad-based tariffs.

The tariffs also come at a challenging time for China’s own slowing economy, with officials in recent weeks ramping up efforts to spur weak domestic consumption as they braced for the widening trade war.

US stock futures plunged Friday after China announced it would retaliate. Dow futures fell 1,000 points, or 2.3%. The broader S&P 500 was set to open 2.4% lower and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was on pace to start the day 2.7% lower. European and UK stocks were down more than 3% Friday, on pace for their worst performance in years.

Markets have been on edge for days: On Thursday, the Dow fell more than 1,600 points, or nearly 4%. The S&P 500 fell nearly 5% and the Nasdaq plunged nearly 6%. Each major US index recorded its worst performance in about five years, since the pandemic.

(CNN)

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Talks held between Indo – Lanka delegations

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Following the conclusion of bilateral discussions between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Indian Prime Minister – Narendra Modi, official – level talks between the delegations of Sri Lanka and India commenced this morning (April 05) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Anil Jayantha; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials. 

The Indian delegation included Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, along with several other senior officials of the Government of India.

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Indian PM conferred prestigious ‘Sri Lanka Mithra Vibhooshana’ medal

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presents Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Sri Lanka Mithra Vibhooshana, the highest award from Sri Lanka to a foreign head of government, for his unwavering support to the people of Sri Lanka.

“It is a matter of immense pride for me to be conferred the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ by President Dissanayake today. This honour is not mine alone – it is a tribute to the 1.4 billion people of India. It symbolises the deep-rooted friendship and historic ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the President, the Government and the people of Sri Lanka for this honour,” PM Modi has said on a X post.

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Court order issued against FSP protest (Update)

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Sri Lanka Police have obtained a court order from the Fort Magistrate’s Court against the planned protest by the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) and the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) today (April 05). 

The order prevents members of both groups from entering the Colombo Fort and Galle Face areas today, police said.


(Previous News on 05th April 2025 at 12:01pm)

FLSP to hold protest in Colombo today

The Front Line Socialist Party (FLSP) is to hold a protest demonstration in Colombo today (April 05).
The protest is titled ‘No Agreements To Betray the Country to Indian Dominion.

In a special media briefing held yesterday (April 04),  FLSP Chief Secretary Kumar Gunaratnam also raised concerns on the agreements that are to be signed between Sri Lanka and India during the ongoing visit of Indian PM – Narendra Modi.

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