‘Tariff’ on American diners a ‘malicious prank’, says Chinatown restaurant worker

SINGAPORE – A worker at a restaurant in Chinatown said none of its employees had put up a notice declaring a 104 per cent surcharge for American diners, calling the move a “malicious prank”.

The handwritten notice of the “tax” – equal to US President Donald Trump’s staggering tariff rate on Chinese imports announced on April 8 – spread online on April 10, attracting more than 1,500 comments on TikTok.

Like the tariffs on China, the notice said Xie Lao Song’s American patron tariff was to take effect on April 9.

Some netizens crowed at what they took for the management’s patriotism, while others cried discrimination.

The worker, who declined to give her name or designation, said in Mandarin: “We’ve been open for over a decade. We would never do something so crass.”

When The Straits Times arrived at the shop before noon on April 11, both the English and Chinese signs had been removed from the entrance. 

The eatery, whose spicy crab is touted as its signature dish, is investigating the incident, said the employee. “We have not ruled out making a police report,” she added, but would not say more on the issue.

When ST asked to speak to the owner, she claimed that he was travelling for work.

Employees of neighbouring Chinese eateries said they had not heard of the controversy, nor had their shops been similarly pranked.

The total US tariff rate on Chinese imports now stands at 145 per cent, after Mr Trump doubled down by raising new tariffs on Chinese imports to 125 per cent. The figure stacks atop a 20 per cent additional duty imposed earlier in 2025.

This follows the sudden pause in new tariffs for most countries announced on April 10. China was excluded from the 90-day reprieve after it imposed a retaliatory duty on US imports. Beijing on April 11 increased its tariffs on US imports to 125 per cent.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) said in response to ST’s queries on April 11 that it was aware of the matter and noted that the business has taken down the notice.

It added: “In general, CCCS does not intervene in prices that private businesses choose to charge their customers, insofar as the prices are independently determined and clearly communicated to customers before purchase.”

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