Washington DC/IBNS: Following up on his threat, US President Donald Trump has imposed "additional 50 percent tariffs" on China starting Wednesday, media reports said.

The White House announced that this will make America's new tariff on China an unprecedented 104 per cent.

President Trump had given China 24 hours to roll back or "withdraw" the retaliatory 34 percent tariff that Beiijing imposed on US goods following Trump's reciprocal tariff orders.

He had warned that failing to do this, Chinese goods would be punished with 104 percent tariffs.

On Tuesday, Beijing dared the US to do so and within hours, Trump announced it.

Trump's sweeping reciprocal tariffs

Triggering almost a global trade war, Trump on Wednesday announced tariffs of at least 10 percent on almost all goods from other countries, plus even higher rates for many nations, including friends, but deemed to be “worst offenders”.

Addressing an audience in the Rose Gardens of the White House, including rows of construction helmet-wearing workers, Trump had said, “The tariffs will not be fully reciprocal. I could have done that, I guess. But it would have been tough for a lot of countries."

Trump announced a 34 percent reciprocal tariff on China, 26 percent on India, and 20 percent on the European Union.

The Chinese government on Friday imposed an additional 34 percent tariffs on all imported U.S. products starting April 10, days after Washington announced reciprocal tariffs.

Now, with this "additional 50 per cent tariff" solely for China, Beijing faces an unprecedented levy of 104 per cent - a near 100 per cent rise in less than a week.