President Donald Trump has once again proven that he holds the upper hand in America’s ongoing economic battle with China, and his Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, is making it clear: the U.S. is in the driver’s seat when it comes to tariffs. With China attempting to retaliate against Trump’s latest 10% tariff by filing a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization and issuing its own tariffs, the reality is that Beijing simply doesn’t have the leverage to win this fight.
Lutnick broke it down on Sunday Morning Futures, pointing out the simple math: China sells far more to the United States than the U.S. sells to China. This imbalance gives Trump all the power. “They either end these subsidies and they end making these ingredients for fentanyl, or [Trump]’s going to put tariffs on there,” Lutnick explained. “If they think they’re going to retaliate, remember, they have so much more that they sell to us than we sell to them. It’s not even close. This is not a battle we’re ever going to lose, and the president knows it. He does have the cards, and he’s going to protect America.”
Today on @SundayFutures with @MariaBartiromo, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick @howardlutnick spoke about President Trump holding Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accountable over U.S. aid and tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China set to be implemented on Tuesday.@FoxNews pic.twitter.com/GDfPL2z3vw
— SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) March 2, 2025
Trump’s strategy is twofold: cut down on China’s economic advantages and force Beijing to stop fueling America’s fentanyl crisis. Despite endless excuses from past administrations, everyone knows the truth—China is the primary supplier of fentanyl ingredients, which have devastated American communities. Unlike his predecessor, Trump isn’t interested in playing nice or appeasing globalist elites. He’s ready to bring China to its knees with economic firepower.
The numbers speak for themselves. A recent survey from Jungle Scout found that over 70% of products sold on Amazon come from China in some capacity. No other country comes close. The U.S. consumer market is the golden goose, and China simply cannot afford to lose access. That’s why the leftist fear-mongering about a “trade war” rings hollow—China has far more to lose than the United States, and Trump knows it.
This is all part of Trump’s broader economic vision. During his first term, he implemented tariffs to level the playing field, and even Biden couldn’t undo them—keeping most of Trump’s China tariffs in place. However, Biden’s half-hearted May 2024 tariff hikes only raised prices for American consumers while doing little to put pressure on Beijing. Trump, on the other hand, is playing hardball. He initially hinted at 20% tariffs but ultimately reserved the highest rates for Canada and Mexico due to their failure to secure the border.
The fentanyl crisis has been a major driver of Trump’s trade policies. With record amounts of fentanyl being found at both the southern and northern borders, the stakes have never been higher. China has long ignored America’s concerns, but Trump’s tariffs ensure that Beijing will finally feel the economic pain of its reckless actions.
While China may try to push back with WTO complaints and counter-tariffs, it won’t change the facts: the U.S. holds the stronger hand, and Trump is playing to win. If China wants access to American consumers, it’s going to have to clean up its act—no more fentanyl, no more trade cheats, and no more unfair subsidies. Trump is restoring American economic dominance one tariff at a time, and the globalists can’t stand it.
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