Chinese Restaurant In Singapore Denies Imposing 104% Surcharge On American Diners
The handwritten notices have since been taken down.
By May Vin Ang — 14 Apr 2025, 03:46 PM
A Chinese restaurant in Singapore has denied responsibility for viral notices claiming it would impose a 104% surcharge on American diners
A video of the handwritten signs, shared by TikTok page @sgwhatsup, drew both support and backlash online.
Written in English and Chinese, the notices read: "Starting from 9 April 2025, Americans will be charged a 104% surcharge when dining at this restaurant."
The video claimed that the notices were posted by the restaurant on 9 April — the date that US President Donald Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs on global imports were set to take effect.
However, an employee at the restaurant has denied putting up the signs, calling it a "malicious prank"
A visit by The Straits Times to the restaurant on Pagoda Street in Singapore's Chinatown on 11 April found that the notices have been taken down.
An employee, who declined to be identified, told the local publication: "We've been open for over a decade. We would never do something so crass."
She added that they may lodge a police report over the incident.
The controversy comes amid escalating tariff tensions between the US and China.
The total US tariff rate on Chinese imports now stands at 145%.
Trump imposed a 54% tariff on imports of products from China at the beginning of April, before escalating to 125% and the current 145% rate.
The US president then announced a 90-day pause on all global tariffs, except for China when it imposed retaliatory tariffs on US imports.
In its own tit-for-tat tariffs, China has increased tariffs to 34% on US goods, before increasing it to 84% and then 125%, which took effect on Saturday, 12 April.
According to the BBC, in announcing its latest tariffs, China's commerce ministry said that it would "fight to the end" if the US "insists on provoking a tariff war or trade war".
