Trump tells Congress China can no longer ‘take advantage’ of weak US policies

The president defends aggressive use of executive power and tariffs in longest ever speech to a joint session in Washington

Reading Time:4 minutes

US President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:55am, 5 Mar 2025Updated: 3:38am, 6 Mar 2025

US President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, outlining his administration’s latest trade measures against China, including new tariffs and a push for economic decoupling.

The speech, which lasted around 1 hour and 40 minutes, was the longest ever by a president before a joint session of Congress and his first since returning to the White House in January.

Trump said his administration was implementing “reciprocal tariffs” to counter China’s trade practices, arguing that Beijing had long taken advantage of weak US policies.

“On April 2, reciprocal tariffs kick in, and whatever they tariff us, we will tariff them,” he said, adding that China’s tariffs on US goods were, on average, twice as high as those Washington imposed on Chinese imports.

The president also criticised the Chips and Science Act. Passed in 2022, the US law aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor production and reducing the country’s dependence on foreign suppliers, particularly China.

The legislation provided substantial funding and incentives for US-based chip manufacturers to increase production capacity and ensure the country’s technological and economic security.