Filenews 13 January 2026
Although it is not yet clear how it will be implemented and who exactly will be affected by Donald Trump's new decision to impose - with immediate effect - additional tariffs of 25% on products imported into the US from countries that trade with Iran, economic analysts argue that the new measure will mainly hit China, but also India, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, countries with extensive trade relations with Iran.
If the morning forecasts are confirmed - among other things, a relevant report is published by CNN - Chinese products will become even more expensive in the American market, as tariffs on them will amount to about 45%.
"With immediate effect, any country that trades with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a 25% tariff on all transactions it makes with the United States of America," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. "This provision is final and irrevocable," he added.
The White House declined to share additional information about the tariff and how the Trump administration plans to implement it, citing CNN as referring to the president's post.
According to CNN, China's embassy in Washington said late Monday that Beijing "strongly opposes all illegal unilateral sanctions" and that it will take "all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests."
"Tariff wars and trade wars have no winners, and coercion and pressure cannot solve the problems," spokesman Liu Pengyu told X.
In the first 11 months of 2025, China exported $6.2 billion worth of goods to Iran and imported $2.85 billion worth of goods, not counting purchases of Iranian oil, according to Chinese customs data. Analysts estimate that China has accounted for more than 90% of Iran's oil trade in recent years, which is imported into China through intermediaries.
It should be noted that Trump doubled tariffs on products from India in the summer of 2025 to a minimum of 50%, seeking to punish the country for buying Russian oil. It threatened to impose similar tariffs on other countries that buy Russian oil, including China, its biggest customer.
