Tariff Timeout

April 14th, 2025

Sharikkaa Shanker

On April 9th 2025, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day suspension of heightened tariffs on imports from 57 countries, excluding China. This move, following a week of market volatility and concerns over escalating trade tensions, reduced tariffs to a baseline 10% for most nations. However, the 125% tariff on Chinese goods remains in effect, reflecting ongoing trade disputes between the U.S. and China.

The suspension provided temporary relief to industries reliant on imported electronics, such as smartphones and computers, which were initially exempted from the steep tariffs. Companies like Apple and Dell Technologies benefited from this exemption, though the administration indicated that these products might be subject to separate tariffs in the near future.

Despite the pause, the administration maintained a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, aiming to protect domestic industries from global excess capacity. Additionally, a 25% tariff was imposed on goods from countries importing Venezuelan oil, as part of a broader strategy to exert economic pressure.

The 90-day suspension is viewed by some analysts as a strategic move to stabilize markets and reassess the impact of the tariffs. However, uncertainties remain regarding the long-term direction of U.S. trade policy, especially concerning relations with China and the potential for future tariff adjustments.

As the suspension period progresses, stakeholders across various industries and international partners will be closely monitoring developments to gauge the implications for global trade dynamics.

Extemp Analysis by Jana Schodzinski

Q: How will global trade be affected by the U.S.’ 125% tariffs against China?

A: When answering a question concerning any aspect of the Trump Administration’s tariffs, it is crucial to understand the basic economic background of tariffs and how they impact whatever your question is asking- in this instance, global trade. Doing background research- especially prior to the midst of a round- will aid you not only in forming coherent points, but also overall stances on the issue at hand.

AGD: Generally, for a ‘boring’ economic speech, a humorous AGD competes best. Consider a pop-culture reference, such as Lizzo’s “Tariffied” shirt featured on this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live. Tie this into the background using a source showing the “tariffying” impacts of the Trump Administration’s tariffs.

Background: Provide your audience a brief overview of China-U.S. tariff relations, especially how they’ve evolved. The matching retaliatory tariffs, refusal to back down by both leaders, and increasing percentages are some key factors to look out for in your background.

Example Points: Taking all of this into consideration, your points for this question will heavily rely on both personal opinion and what can be easily factually backed up. Some potential points include:

P1: The ruination of the steel market.

P2: Lowered annual revenues.

P3: China’s growing reliance on Southeast Asian countries.

Specifically, P3 has the best potential for an argument. Here is a breakdown of what one could argue in this point:

P3: China’s growing reliance on Southeast Asian countries.

SA: China’s growing trade relationship with southeast Asian countries prior to the trade war.

SB: Xi Jinping’s tour of southeastern Asia in hopes to strengthen economic ties.

SC: This will either:

C1: Push southeast Asian countries uncomfortably close to China. Or:

C2: Allow China to replace the U.S. with Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, softening China’s economic blow.

Depending on your individual skill set, I’d recommend using a status quo/change substructure for a question like this. However, this is malleable and up to extemper interpretation. Making a speech unique is the key to recognition. Overall, when answering any tariff-related question, my overarching advice is to make it nuanced, entertaining, and above all, fact-based.

Good luck!