Trump: China Trade Truce Saved Them From Collapse

President Donald Trump said Friday that the recent trade agreement with China prevented the Asian economic giant from breaking apart, arguing America was better equipped to endure a prolonged trade conflict due to renewed national spirit following his re-election, The Hill reported.

President Donald Trump said Friday that China would have experienced severe economic repercussions without the recent trade truce, suggesting the Asian powerhouse was on the brink of collapse.

“If I didn’t do that deal with China, I think China would have broken apart. We are not going to break,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox News’s "Special Report."

“Our country has a lot of spirit, and you know why? Because of November 5, our country has spirit again,” Trump told host Bret Baier, referring to Election Day when he reclaimed the presidency by defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump's remarks come days after the U.S. and China reached a temporary agreement, significantly scaling back a trade conflict that intensified after the president introduced his "Liberation Day" tariff initiative last month. Under the new arrangement, U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports were reduced sharply from 145% to 30%, while China decreased its tariffs on American goods from 125% to 10%.

Additionally, Beijing agreed to lift non-tariff retaliatory measures implemented against U.S. goods in early April. Trump highlighted the agreement's benefits, emphasizing America's robust negotiation position.

However, reports surfaced claiming Trump moderated his initial aggressive tariff stance after recognizing the economic strain placed on his core voter base. "The key argument was that this was beginning to hurt Trump’s supporters — Trump’s people," a source briefed on the discussions told The Washington Post.

Previously, amid market volatility, the administration paused reciprocal tariffs on several global trade partners for 90 days, allowing space for diplomatic negotiations. The U.S.-U.K. trade pact, announced last week, marked the first significant outcome from these talks.

On Friday, Trump suggested additional tariff actions could resume following the temporary hiatus, emphasizing his administration's readiness to implement new rates once the pause ends.

The president maintained confidence in America's resilience compared to China, attributing his optimistic outlook to the renewed national energy stemming from his electoral victory.

President Trump said that the United States will announce tariff rates for its trading partners within the coming weeks, noting his administration cannot simultaneously negotiate trade deals with all interested countries due to limited capacity.

“We’re going to be very fair. But it’s not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us,” Trump said during a meeting with business executives in the United Arab Emirates.

The president added that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick "will be sending letters out essentially telling people" how much "they'll be paying to do business in the United States."