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US President Donald Trump on Friday accused China of violating a trade agreement and announced that he would double tariff hikes on steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent. He called himself a "nice guy" who helped China out of a "devastating" situation when the latter was in "grave economic danger," but claimed that China instead failed to honour a mutual understanding to reduce tariffs on critical minerals. 

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said China violated a bilateral deal aimed at easing trade restrictions as he issued a new veiled threat to get strict with China. 

“China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!,” Trump posted, signaling frustration and a renewed tough stance on trade.

The agreement in question, reportedly reached in Geneva earlier this month, involved a temporary rollback of triple-digit tariffs between the two economic giants. Trump said the deal was intended to last 90 days and was crafted to ease economic pressure on China, which he claimed was facing factory shutdowns and civil unrest due to prior tariff hikes.

Later that day, during a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump announced an increase in tariffs on steel imports, raising them from 25 percent to 50 percent. The timing of the announcement coincided with his promotion of a new partnership between Japan’s Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel, Reuters reported.

“This will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,” Trump declared at the event, reiterating his commitment to domestic manufacturing.

Shortly after the rally, he posted again on Truth Social, revealing that aluminum imports would also face a tariff increase to 50%, effective Wednesday.

"Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before," he wrote. "This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Though China dominates global steel production, its exports to the US have been minimal since Trump’s 2018 tariffs largely shut Chinese steel out of the American market. However, China remains a significant aluminum exporter, ranking third among US suppliers.

Trump said he had made a “fast deal” with Chinese leaders to prevent what he described as a "devastating" situation and potential crisis for China’s economy. He added that he intended the agreement to spare China from further turmoil linked to tariffs that had reached up to 145 percent on some goods, Reuters reported.

However, Trump did not detail the specific terms allegedly breached by China or what further measures he might take. When questioned in the Oval Office later that day, Trump hinted at a possible diplomatic path forward.

"I’m sure that I’ll speak to President Xi, and hopefully we’ll work that out," he said at the Oval Office about the China deal.