Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Trump Imposes Sweeping New Tariffs On Trading Partners; Trump's Huge 104 Percent Tariff On Chinese Imports Takes Effect; South Korea Seeks Cooperation, Not Confrontation With U.S.; Dozens Killed In Iconic Nightclub Roof Collapse; Swedish Teens Used To Target Israeli Interests; Intel Sources: Swedish Teens Used To Target Israeli Interests. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired April 09, 2025 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[00:00:15]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm John Vause in Atlanta with breaking news in Donald Trump's global trade war with new country specific tariffs ranging from 11 percent to 50 percent now just taking effect on imports from dozens of U.S. trading partners, the countries President Trump described as the worst offenders.

This is a significant escalation in the wake of a 10 percent across- the-board tariff implemented Saturday. According to the U.S. Commerce secretary, about 70 countries have contacted the White House asking for trade talks, all in the words of President Trump Tuesday night, foreign leaders, he said, are, quote, "kissing my ass, begging to make a deal." And he says they're all giving him what he wants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I do think that the war with the world, which is not a war at all, because they're all coming here. Japan is coming here as we speak. Things that people wouldn't have given us two years ago, wouldn't have even thought of it two years ago, three years ago, five years ago, seven -- they're giving us everything. They don't want tariffs on themselves. And it's very simple. We're making deals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: But negotiations are not an option for China, it seems, hit hardest with a tariff of 104 percent on all exports to the U.S. Officials in Beijing say that's a mistake upon a mistake, adding China will not back down.

Live to Hong Kong at CNN's Kristie Lu stout.

So in response to these massive U.S. tariffs, Beijing isn't just warning of further retaliation against the U.S., at home, the government there is offering economic support for areas of the economy hit hardest by this trade war.

What are the details?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I'll get into that in just a moment. But I want to give you just the general mood here across Asia and across China. Many people here, John, from investors, consumers, business leaders, officials are in this sort of defensive crouch position as the U.S. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with this astonishing total tariff rate of at least 104 percent on China. This after China refused to meet Trump's deadline and refused to remove its own retaliatory tariffs.

We've been monitoring the markets this day. Across Asia, we are not seeing the bloodbath of Monday, but nor are we seeing the recovery green arrows on Tuesday. Let's bring up the picture for you so you can see how markets are reacting here in Asia. And there on your screen you can see in Japan the Nikkei is down 3 percent and almost 3.5 percent. The Hang Seng here in Hong Kong down 1.5 percent.

Seoul KOSPI is losing 1.25, S&P in Australia losing 1.7 percent. The Shanghai Composite, though, gaining a quarter of 1 percent. I do want to add that in China's state firms have pledged to buy stocks in order to stabilize the markets there.

Now, we're also from Asia monitoring U.S. futures. If you could bring up that data for you and see what we can expect from the S&P, the Nasdaq and the Dow. And we can have a hint that it's going to be a down day. They're all pointing to a lower open when Wall Street opens a couple of hours from now.

Look, Trump is facing major blowback from the markets, from business leaders, from billionaires as he unleashes another wave of tariffs. Donald Trump and his officials say, look, we're game for talks and we're ready for talks. And they say that they've been approached by around 70 different governments. Talks are planned between the Trump administration officials and the governments of Japan, South Korea and others.

And we did hear from Trump on Tuesday saying that he had, quote, "a good call" with the acting South Korean president. But he also had choice words for China. And I want to show you what he shared on his very own social media platform, Truth Social. This is what the U.S. president said in regards to China. He said China also wants to make a deal badly, but they don't know how to get it started. We are waiting for their call. It will happen. Exclamation point.

But Chinese officials, they're not taking it. In fact, they continue to reiterate the point that they will fight Trump's tariffs until the end. I want you to listen to this from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIN JIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): I believe the actions of the U.S. do not reflect a genuine willingness for serious dialogue. If the U.S. disregards the interests of both countries and the international community and insists on waging a tariff war or trade war, China will fight to the end. (END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: China is rejecting Trump's tariffs and looking at the markets this day investors as well.

John, back to you.

VAUSE: Yes, that's part of that support for the economy, the local economy that Beijing is implementing.

Kristie, thanks so much for being with us. Kristie Lu Stout live for us in Hong Kong.

Go to the U.S. West Coast now and Yan Liang joins us from Portland, Oregon.

[00:05:02]

Professor Liang specializes in the international economy as well as the political economy of China.

Thank you for being with us.

YAN LIANG, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMISTS, WILLAMETE UNIVERSITY: Thank you for having me, John.

VAUSE: OK, so more than a week now, Beijing has described Trump's tariffs using words like bullying and blackmail. And again Tuesday warned the U.S. to fight to the end. Here's a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIAN (through translator): This is a typical example of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying and has been widely opposed by the international community. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes such actions. If it persists in disregarding the common interest of both countries and the international community, and insists on escalating the trade and tariff conflict, China will, as always, fight to the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Have those words backed China into a corner if they were to begin talks on some kind of trade deal, would they be seeing, the government there be seen as giving in to a bully?

LIANG: Well, I think that's a great question. I think from China's point of view this is unilateralism. This is about bullying. And if China doesn't make any concession this is going to just trigger further aggression. Not to mention now I think the trust level is very, very low. So what China would give doesn't necessarily, you know, would help China to get out of tariff war. So I think by their calculation, for one, is yes, China is going to get a demand shock from the U.S.'s tariff. But the United States would also suffer really consequential, you

know, losses in their markets, both from the demand side but also from the supply side. And also, you know, both countries don't have the same degree of resilience. And in terms of the domestic political economic pressures for the leaders to back down.

So I think in Beijing's calculation, there's only one way which is to up the escalation, right, to retaliate. And so I think it's very difficult for both countries now to kind of back down. And so it remains to be seen, you know, Trump is definitely wanted to play this sort of, you know, chicken game, right, to see who blinks first. And he believes he has all the cards. But I think it really remains to be seen how much longer he's able to hold up with all the pressures mounting.

VAUSE: I want to add into the mix here, though. Some recent controversial comments from the U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Here he is speaking to FOX News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And to make it a little bit more crystal clear. We borrowed money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: That is not without controversy in China. Many have been offended. Right now, price increases from tariffs will determine what products Chinese consumers buy or don't buy. Essentially, the market forces. But do comments like the ones we just heard have a potential to nationalize this dispute, and buying U.S. made goods is seen as being anti-China?

LIANG: Right. I think, first of all, I think anyone who listens to this very racist comment have the right to be angry, right? And I think definitely this hurts the Chinese pride. And I definitely think that, you know, this also in some ways really distorted the facts. The fact is that the U.S., by issuing the reserve currency, the dollar, that the rest of the world desires and they're enjoying exorbitant privilege, right, that they're enjoying $1 trillion of trade deficit means that countries are sending their goods and services to the United States.

And so I think it's a complete distortion of the facts that JD Vance is saying this in such an arrogant way as well and racist way. Now I think for China, I definitely think that there will be some kinds of boycott, right, of the U.S. products. Not to mention, you know, Chinese products in Chinese market now -- the U.S. products in Chinese market now are gradually, I think, losing the kinds of preference from the consumers, right? From iPhone, from cars, you name it.

VAUSE: Yes.

LIANG: I think this will create some backlashes for, you know, the U.S. multinational companies, a lot of them still rely on the Chinese market, you know, ranging from McDonald's or Starbucks or EV Tesla. So I think this is going to hurt the U.S. corporations' bottom line.

VAUSE: And just very quickly. We're now having word from the Commerce secretary that 70 countries now want to negotiate a new deal. The quickest the U.S. has ever negotiated a free trade deal was four months with Jordan. The deal was then implemented in a year and a half after that. You know, on average, it takes somewhere between 18 months and two years. So if dozens of countries now want to make a deal, how long is it going to take?

LIANG: Yes, I think that's a great question. But I also wanted to know what exactly, you know, Trump says the end game is, right? So he is raising the tariffs for countries like, you know, Vietnam to 46 percent and others 44 percent. Many of the Asian countries are hardest to hit, despite the fact that, you know, for a country like South Korea, they have free trade agreement with the United States.

Their average tariff rate outside of the, you know, agricultural products is about 2.5 percent. And yet they're being levied to 25 percent. So even all the countries are willing to drop their tariff rate to zero, it's very doubtful that this is going to really reduce the U.S. trade deficit with these countries. E.U. has also proposed that, you know, both countries or both, you know, both parties would lower the tariff rate to zero but Trump rejected that.

[00:10:04]

So I think it's very difficult to know at this point exactly what Donald Trump wants. So maybe what he really wants is, as he mentioned, right, just to see the countries kowtow to him. But it's also doubtful, you know, if he does put a pause, it would be because of domestic economic pressure instead of the concessions the countries made.

VAUSE: Professor Liang, thanks so much for being with us. We really appreciate your time and your insights. Thank you.

LIANG: Thank you for having me.

VAUSE: Well, negotiators from South Korea are now traveling to Washington after the White House confirmed trade talks with both South Korea and Japan are set to begin. The two U.S. allies given priority over other trading partners. President Trump says he had a great conversation by phone Tuesday with South Korea's acting president, and he seems optimistic about reaching an agreement.

During an exclusive interview with CNN's Mike Valerio, South Korean leader, Han Duck-Soo, believes he can do what no world leader has done so far, convince Donald Trump to drop the tariffs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As China's Xi Jinping strikes back against steep U.S. tariffs, vowing to fight them eye for an eye --

How are you? So good to meet you. (Voice-over): South Korea's leader says in an exclusive interview with

CNN he is looking for a deal.

Acting President Han, what is your message to President Trump?

HAN DUCK-SOO, SOUTH KOREAN ACTING PRESIDENT: First of all, we will cooperate with the United States and President Trump to make sure that we can find some of the solutions. You know, to arrive at the win-win situations.

VALERIO (voice-over): Han Duck-soo, South Korea's head of state, says cooperation and negotiation, not confrontation, will be South Korea's playbook. A strategy, he says, driven by deep ties to the U.S. forged during the Korean War. Today, nearly 30,000 U.S. troops are still stationed in South Korea. And he's betting friends with this much history can talk this through.

You do anticipate that this 25 percent tariff level will not stay. That's your anticipation.

HAN: Depending on the negotiations.

VALERIO: 25 percent, though, that's pretty steep for friends for generations.

HAN: Well, it's a pity because we are evaluated in that way. But I think that that kind of different assessment can always happen in this kind of situation.

VALERIO (voice-over): South Korea's auto industry is a success story in part because of tariffs. Seoul National University economics professor Lee Keun, writing, "South Korea's high tariffs on imported cars protected Hyundai, helping it to grow into a global powerhouse exporter."

In this tariff trade war, economists fear parts and products from South Korea could skyrocket in price, harming jobs and assembly lines on both sides of the Pacific.

Han remains optimistic, speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in a phone call Tuesday morning. President Trump echoing the enthusiasm for now, posting on Truth Social, the two leaders had a, quote, "great call" and quote, "We have the confines and probability of a great deal for both countries," Trump wrote.

HAN: I think if we really try to work very hard, and, you know, exchange our information on interpreting and assessing in the right way, in this case with the United States, I think the situations can be improved.

VALERIO: Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Still ahead here on CNN, how did it happen? What caused the collapse of a roof of an iconic nightclub in the Dominican Republic, leaving dozens dead? More in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:18:18]

VAUSE: 79 people are now confirmed dead as investigators search for the cause of a roof collapse at a popular nightclub in the Dominican Republic. Two former players from Major League Baseball are among the dead.

CNN contributor Stefano Pozzebon has the very latest now reporting in from Santo Domingo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The search and rescue operations here in Santo Domingo are continuing throughout the night. As you can see behind my back, the teams are working hard with no stop. And there are at least three major cranes that are being used throughout the night to remove the biggest of the debris that are still on the top of the dancing floor because the rooftop of the Jet Set in Santo Domingo crashed on the top of the dancing floor in the early hours of this Tuesday.

Dozens of people have been pronounced dead, but almost 24 hours since the tragedy occurred the teams are still not giving up their hopes, and they're still trying frantically combing through the debris to find as many people alive as quickly as possible. And in the meantime, here in the area surrounding the Jet Set, you can see a community coming together. We have seen dozens, hundreds of people coming here to pay their respect, to ask for information.

These Jet Set nightclub was an institution here in Santo Domingo. Among the victims, unfortunately and tragically, are politicians, former baseball players, friends, family, relatives.

[00:20:03]

And this is why it is a tragedy that is really going deep, hitting the soul of this nation.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Santo Domingo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And still to come here on CNN, amid the global economic turmoil sparked by Trump's tariffs, the U.S. president claims bragging rights. World leaders, he says, are kissing up and just dying to make a deal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:25:13]

VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. Let's take a look at today's top stories. Donald Trump's new country specific tariffs are now officially being

levied on imports to the U.S. from dozens of countries. China has been hit hardest with 104 percent tariff on all its exports to the U.S. Beijing promising to retaliate with higher levies on U.S. imports.

Canada is now imposing a new 25 percent tariff on vehicles imported from the United States and not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement. And the European Union says it's ready to negotiate with the United States over buying more of its liquefied natural gas. This comes after President Trump says the E.U. must buy about $350 billion worth of American natural gas as compensation for a deficit in goods traded with the United States and the U.S.

Security Service Sources in Sweden say Iran is using gangs to target vulnerable teenagers, using them for political attacks on Israeli interests in Europe. CNN investigation shows they're using social media to prey on young people and then recruit them.

CNN's Katie Polglase explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE PRODUCER (voice-over): In the dead of night, a 15-year-old left home. He was told to pick up a gun. He claims he didn't know why. It was just a job.

So this is the journey he would have taken in a taxi last May. He was getting instructions constantly on a secure messaging app, telling him where to go, where to find the gun, what to do next. And his target is the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.

(Voice-over): He never makes it to his destination. Police stop him on route. But within 24 hours, another kid, this time, just 14 years old, is dispatched. Different route, but the same target. And this time, he gets there.

He fired several shots near the embassy just behind me here and then ran in this direction, throwing the gun as he fled. And as police caught up with him, they grabbed him, chucked him to the ground. And then they noticed he was still holding his phone, and someone was calling him.

(Voice-over): Who were these kids talking to and why were they directed to an Israeli target? Police say the attempted attacks were among several last year targeting the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. Swedish intelligence told CNN gangs acting on behalf of Iran were behind the plots, often using teenagers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE through translator): Two men accused of planning attacks on a Jewish restaurant in central Athens.

POLGLASE: Beyond Sweden, the U.S. and its allies have warned of a rise in attacks on Jewish and Israeli sites in Europe in recent years. Among the targets, a synagogue in Germany and a Jewish restaurant in Greece. A CNN investigation can now reveal criminal networks are often using

the most vulnerable in society to do it. But it was in Sweden that we found the youngest suspects.

Rene Lobos knows these kids well. He himself used to be part of one of Sweden's most notorious and violent gangs. But he says they're even more dangerous now.

RENE LOBOS, FORMER SWEDISH GANG MEMBER: If you don't have murder anybody, you are nothing. You are like equal like anybody else. So they need to do it. They'll be taken seriously. It's just being in a community like they have their own community, like, they don't want to be alone.

POLGLASE: A community, a sense of belonging. But it's also about the money.

LOBOS: Like I work to do here. You've got to work to do here. Who wants to take this one? You're going to get paid like this. So much money and they take it. They take the job and they do it. And then they get paid.

POLGLASE: So the crime is like a service?

LOBOS: Yes.

POLGLASE (voice-over): And Iran is exploiting this desire for money, status, and respect, Swedish intelligence say using the existing gangs as middlemen to recruit kids. These middlemen are Rawa Majid and Ismail Abdo. Leaders of two rival Swedish gangs, Foxtrot and Rumba. Both are wanted by Interpol.

Christopher Bohman spent 20 years investigating organized crime for Swedish police. And says the involvement of foreign state actors complicates the picture.

CHRISTOPHER BOHMAN, FORMER SWEDISH POLICE: Now it's transformed to be globally. You have people sitting in other countries dictated the crime. They are sending messages to Sweden, kill that one, kill that one, and so on. It's easier when you have the gangs, you have the people on one place. Now, everything is global, and everything is also digital.

[00:30:11]

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Social media is indeed key. We found dozens of messages online, offering kids money for violent crimes. Skull emojis indicating a killing. Dollar emojis indicating payment. The gamification of gang warfare.

But it has very real consequences. In a cemetery on the outskirts of Stockholm, the latest children's graves: a stark reminder of the ultimate cost young people pay for gang violence, groomed to service Swedish gangs. Now, authorities say, exploited by Iran.

It is vulnerable children at the heart of Iran's shadow war with Israel.

Katie Polglase, CNN, Stockholm, Sweden.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Since airing and posting this story online, the Iranian authorities have responded, saying they firmly reject involvement in such actions, adding that no substantial proof had been provided.

They also claimed the Zionist regime and anti-Iranian circles were behind the accusations, which aimed to tarnish Iran's foreign relations, especially with Europe.

Two Chinese nationals fighting in the Russian army have been captured in the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He says they were carrying documents, personal data, and bank cards confirming the Chinese nationality. And the president says he's waiting now for an explanation from Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We really hope that after this situation, the Americans will talk more with the Ukrainians and then the Russians. We really hope that the Chinese side will also react.

I have instructed the minister of foreign affairs and the minister of defense to contact their Chinese counterparts so that they can give us an explanation for those actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: In January, Ukrainian troops captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia. Moscow has been increasingly relying on its defense relationship with Pyongyang in this conflict with Ukraine.

Well, when we come back, the latest on Prince Harry's fight against the British government's decision to downgrade his taxpayer-funded security. More on that in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: President Trump has escalated his global trade war with new country-specific tariffs now in effect.

Chinese imports to the U.S. now levied at a 104 percent tariff. Beijing says it will retaliate, as most other countries scramble to open trade talks with the Trump administration.

Delegations from Japan and South Korea now heading to Washington, and Italy's prime minister will be there next week.

All of this having a huge effect on markets around the world. Let's look at the Dow futures. There they are. They're all down, red across the board again. The Dow down 2 percent. The future for the NASDAQ down by 2.25 percent. And the S&P 500 also down by 2.25 percent.

A federal judge has ruled it's unconstitutional for the White House to punish the Associated Press, because President Donald Trump doesn't like its viewpoint.

Earlier this year, Trump blocked A.P.'s access to his events in the Oval Office and Air Force One, because the A.P. called the Gulf of Mexico "the Gulf of Mexico." Trump renamed it "Gulf of America."

The Trump-appointed judge ordered the government to restore A.P.'s access. He delayed the order for one week, allowing the White House to appeal.

Prince Harry made a rare appearance in the United Kingdom amid a legal battle with the British government.

The Duke of Sussex -- Sussex has been fighting a decision to downgrade the level of taxpayer-funded security both he and his family receives when they're in the United Kingdom.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has more now, reporting in from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We weren't sure if we were going to see him today, but Prince Harry --

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): -- made a surprise appearance. Now, he very rarely shows up in the U.K., and that's because Prince Harry says he fears for his safety.

ABDELAZIZ: That's exactly why he's shown up at the Royal Courts of Justice in London today for the next stage in a legal battle that has drawn out for nearly three and a half years now.

He's seeking more security and protection for his family.

Now, all of this started in 2020 when Prince Harry and --

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): -- his wife, Meghan, stepped down from their roles as full-time working royals. At that point --

ABDELAZIZ: -- his taxpayer-funded protection was downgraded from the highest level of security to a case-by-case basis.

His lawyer in court today is arguing that decision was unfair --

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): -- and that Prince Harry was singled out, in her words, "for inferior treatment."

Now, the appeal will mostly be held in open sessions, much of it live- streamed for the public to see.

ABDELAZIZ: This is a deeply personal case for Prince Harry, who says his family can't visit the U.K. Because of his fears around their safety. Now, a judge is expected to issue a decision in writing at a later

date.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: We'll end up here with the former British prime minister, Boris Johnson, aka Bojo, who was seen ruffling some feathers at a drive- through safari park in Texas.

[00:40:06]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Oh, Christ!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The images of this feisty interaction shows an ostrich poking its head into Johnson's car and then pecking his arm.

When we say he was seen in this interaction, it was actually recorded by his wife, who was there right next to him in the car.

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause, back with more news at the top of the hour. In the meantime, WORLD SPORT starts after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:24]

(WORLD SPORT)

[00:58:09]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)