Let’s be honest, trying to keep track of the trade war feels like watching a tennis match where the ball moves at the speed of sound. You look away for a second and—boom—everything changed. If you’re trying to figure out what tariffs do china have on the us right now in early 2026, you’ve probably noticed the headlines are a messy soup of "suspensions," "retaliation," and "deals."
Basically, we just came off a wild 2025. For a few months there, China was slapping massive duties on everything from American pork to coal, with some rates spiking as high as 140%. It was getting ugly. But then, in November 2025, a major deal changed the game.
The Great 2026 Pause
Right now, the short answer is that most of those scary, "eye for an eye" retaliatory tariffs China launched in 2025 are currently suspended.
Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping struck a deal late last year that effectively hit the "pause" button. This wasn't because they suddenly became best friends. It was more of a tactical timeout. Under this agreement, China agreed to stop their newest rounds of tariffs on US goods until at least November 10, 2026.
But "suspended" doesn't mean "zero."
The Big Ones: What's Still Getting Taxed?
Even with the recent deal, US exporters aren't exactly getting a free pass. China still maintains a baseline of tariffs that were already in place before the 2025 flare-up.
If you are shipping goods to China today, you are likely dealing with two layers of costs. There's the standard Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) rate that China applies to most of the world. Then, there are the "leftover" retaliatory duties from the 2018-2019 trade war era that never really went away.
Agriculture and Food
For a while in 2025, US farmers were in a panic. China had threatened—and briefly implemented—huge hikes on:
- Soybeans: The crown jewel of US exports.
- Pork and Beef: Rates were threatening to hit 135%.
- Corn and Wheat: Looking at 140% total duties at the peak.
Under the current deal, those specific 2025 hikes are on ice. China has actually committed to buying 25 million metric tons of US soybeans annually for 2026, 2027, and 2028. However, most US ag products still face a 25% "baseline" retaliatory tariff from the older trade disputes, on top of the regular MFN rates.
Energy and Raw Materials
Coal and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) are in a similar boat. The 2025 plan was to tax US coal and gas at 140%. That would have basically killed the market. Currently, that's suspended. But don't expect it to be cheap; there is still a significant price disadvantage for US energy compared to, say, Russian or Middle Eastern supplies because of those lingering base-level tariffs.
The Cranberry Surprise
Sometimes, specific items get hit just because a temporary discount expires. Just this month, on January 1, 2026, China ended a 9-year "preferential" rate for cranberries. Now, US cranberry exporters (mostly in Wisconsin) are seeing their rates jump from 15% back up to 30%. It’s not technically a "new" retaliatory tariff, but it feels like one to the people paying the bill.
Why These Tariffs Keep Shifting
You’ve got to understand that China uses tariffs like a volume knob. When they want to pressure the US on a specific issue—like semiconductors or TikTok—they turn the volume up on agricultural states. Why? Because farmers have a lot of political sway in the US.
The November 2025 deal wasn't just about money. It was a trade-off.
- The US side: Agreed to lower "fentanyl-related" tariffs from 20% to 10%.
- The China side: Agreed to stop the export controls on rare earth minerals (the stuff we need for EV batteries and magnets) and suspended the 2025 retaliatory list.
The Export Control Factor
Honestly, the "war" has shifted away from just tariffs (taxes on things coming in) to export controls (blocking things from going out).
China recently loosened its grip on gallium, germanium, and antimony—minerals that are vital for high-tech chips. Before the deal, they were basically holding these minerals hostage. While the tariffs on US goods are lower now than they were six months ago, the threat of these export bans coming back is the real shadow hanging over the 2026 economy.
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Real-World Impact: The "Hidden" Costs
If you’re a business owner, the tariff rate on paper is only half the battle. You’ve also got to worry about:
- VAT (Value Added Tax): China applies a 13% VAT on most imports after the tariff is added. It compounds.
- Customs Delays: When tensions are high, "random" inspections of US goods tend to increase at Chinese ports.
- The Unreliable Entity List: China has a "blacklist" of US companies. If your company is on it, a 0% tariff doesn't matter because you aren't allowed to trade at all.
How to Navigate This in 2026
Waiting for a "final" end to the trade war is probably a bad strategy. Most experts, like those at J.P. Morgan, think we are headed toward a permanent "selective decoupling." We’ll trade soybeans and sneakers, but maybe not software and sensors.
Actionable Insights for Businesses:
- Check your HTS Codes: If you’re exporting, make sure your Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes are 100% accurate. Misclassification is the easiest way to get hit with a "penalty" that acts like a 40% tariff.
- Utilize the Exclusion Process: China has extended its market-based tariff exclusion process through December 31, 2026. This allows Chinese importers to apply for a waiver on certain US goods if they can prove they can't get them elsewhere.
- Watch the November Deadline: The current "peace" expires on November 10, 2026. If you have shipments planned for late Q4, you might want to move them earlier in the year to avoid a potential "cliff" if the deal isn't renewed.
- Diversify Markets: Follow the lead of companies moving toward "China Plus One." Even if the tariffs stay suspended, the volatility itself is a cost. Exploring secondary markets in Vietnam or India isn't just a trend; it's basic risk management now.
The situation is stable for the moment, but it's a "fragile" stable. Keeping a close eye on the White House fact sheets and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) updates is the only way to not get blindsided.